A new Renewable Energy Training Facility will provide workers with the skills required for the thousands of jobs that will be generated under the Queensland Government’s Energy and Jobs Plan.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk officially launched Electro Group’s Renewable Energy Training Facility in Pinkenba, where Cabinet also gathered.
“Our investment of $17 million towards this $23 million training centre of excellence will help create a skilled future workforce to provide cheaper, cleaner and secure energy for Queenslanders,” Premier Palaszczuk said.
According to the Premier, facilities like this are essential in fostering the development of the skills necessary to establish new clean energy infrastructure and industries, as the Queensland Energy and Jobs Plan will generate around 100,000 new jobs.
“As part of our plan, we will build Australia’s largest energy SuperGrid, delivering clean, reliable, and affordable energy to power Queensland homes and industry,” the Premier added.
Premier Palaszczuk said the Renewable Energy Training Facility would offer training in electrical, solar renewable energy, and telecommunications using the best practises in the world, producing a workforce that is prepared for the future and assisting our students in realising their full potential.
“This is a significant training centre not only for the region but for the state, in partnership with the Electrical Trades Union and Master Electricians Australia,” the Premier stated.
The investment, according to Minister for Training and Skills Development Di Farmer, demonstrates the Palaszczuk Administration’s dedication to developing a highly trained future workforce in Queensland.
“I’m proud of the vocational education and training ecosystem in Queensland, and we have state-of-the-art infrastructure to match. It is our workers who will make clean energy possible, and this training facility will create a skilled renewable energy workforce for Queensland,” Minister Farmer added.
According to Minister Farmer, the State Government will continue to invest because it is crucial that the future workforce receive training in contemporary facilities like this one in Pinkenba, which provide hands-on learning opportunities and prepare them for life on the job.
The funding came from the Queensland Economic Recovery Strategy: Unite and Recover for Queensland Jobs initiative of the Palaszczuk administration.
Electro Group Training (EGT), the company that owns and runs RETF, will provide certifications in renewable energy, teach apprentices, and help licenced electricians improve their abilities to safely instal, manage, and operate solar and other renewable energy equipment.
The energy transformation in the State, according to Minister for Energy, Renewables, and Hydrogen Mick de Brenni, is Queensland’s most significant employment opportunity in a generation.
“Our Sunshine State is blessed with incredible natural resources, but it’s our people — Queenslanders themselves, that are our greatest asset. The Queensland SuperGrid and our plan to use local companies, via onshore component manufacturing wherever possible, will generate an expected 64,000 direct and indirect jobs in its construction and even more in its operation,” Minister de Brenni said.
Minister de Brenni stated the Government’s strategy invests in skills, training, and assistance for both the current workforce in the energy sector and the development of new jobs and careers of tomorrow.
As part of Queensland’s $100 million Equipping TAFE for our Future initiative, the $10.6 million Hydrogen and Renewable Energy Training Facility at Bohle TAFE in Townsville complements the project.
The SuperGrid, which will offer Queenslanders clean, dependable, and inexpensive power for generations, is made up of all electrical grid components, including the poles, cables, solar, wind, and storage.
