Funded through the Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts (DEWHA), the Clean Energy Council (CEC) employed the expertise of Global Sustainable Energy Solutions (GSES) and IT Power Australia to develop a Renewable Energy Training and Workforce Strategy (RETWS).

Susan Neil from GSES explains the four phases of the project:

1. A review of existing renewable energy training available in Australia.

Documented in the Renewable Energy Training in Australia report, this review included analysis of courses being conducted at universities, TAFEs, registered training organisations and within industry.

The report identifies that there are:

- 26 TAFEs and private registered training organisations presently offering, or soon to offer, accredited qualifications, courses or units of competency in renewable energy - 11 universities offering coursework-based degrees in renewable energy - 18 universities offering research degrees in renewable energy

Within the industry there are:

- Many companies offering internal training and/or product training - Industry associations offering professional development days - Some associations conducting training that ‘brand’ those who undertake the courses (e.g. Ecosmart electricians).

2. A comprehensive survey of renewable energy industries and system installers.

This was carried out in 2009 to ascertain the current skills base as well as the training requirements as the renewable energy industry grows.

Key messages from the survey included:

- Too few undergraduate courses are currently available which cover renewable energy technologies. In particular, there was a need for flexible accredited courses to be delivered online or by distance education for which course units can be used, towards a Diploma or Masters Degree. - Too few local TAFE colleges are currently offering courses on renewable energy. - Management training for technical staff is needed. - More qualified trainers are needed.

3. An estimation of the number of renewable energy jobs now and in 2020.

In the Renewable Energy Jobs in 2009 and Forecasts for 2020 report, it was conservatively approximated from the survey results that there are currently 10,370 employees in the renewable energy industry. Based on this result, two methods were employed to forecast the number of job requirements to 2020 which estimated 29,980 and 24,210 jobs respectively. The higher estimate is based on growth rates from 2003 to 2008/09 extrapolated from industry survey results, while the lower figure was calculated using international multipliers, based on technology breakdown estimates by McLennan Magasanik Associates to reach the expanded 20 per cent renewable energy target.

4. The Australian Renewable Energy Training and Workforce Strategy for 2020.

The data and information collected from the aforementioned research enabled the development of the RETWS for 2020. This strategy is geared to ensure the appropriate training facilities are available and have the capacity to cater for the industry’s projected workforce needs.

Key findings of the Australian Renewable Energy Training and Workforce Strategy for 2020

Targeted TAFE training

A significant increase in the number of TAFE level institutions offering renewable energy training is essential to meet the needs of the growing industry.

Industry targeted training at TAFE level is also required, for example, as needed for the Solar Water Heating industry. Further, TAFE level training needs to grow to include areas not currently covered, such as specific large wind turbine installation and maintenance, bioenergy plant commissioning and more.

Increased student and trainer numbers

The number of people seeking training in renewable energy technology will require an increase in student places of around 300 per cent over current levels.

This potential increase in students also highlights the need to ensure that the additional number of trainers is also provided. Some suggestions regarding rapidly increasing the number of suitable trainers within this industry are made, but over the longer term the ability of the industry to access appropriate trainers for the renewable energy training industry should be studied.

Short courses

Short courses at all levels are required to assist workers with existing skills and qualifications to rapidly gain knowledge of renewables. It would be useful to have specialist staff able to offer short courses in different aspects of renewable energy and able to travel to areas where the demand is greatest.

Better use of existing courses

Many universities currently offer renewable energy electives on an irregular basis and could begin to offer them more regularly. Existing courses could be also offered online or via distance mode.

Communication

At present it is not easy for people wanting to work in the renewable energy sector to find out what, when or where training is available. An online directory of current University, TAFE and private renewable energy training on offer would greatly assist in linking students to courses.

Resources

With the rapid increase in the renewable energy sector, a great deal of new curricula material and a significant number of skilled training staff will be required. In addition, trainers skilled in online course delivery will be needed to modify courses for e-learning modes.

It should be noted that the RETWS only considers renewable resources that contribute to electricity generation. It does not specifically cover transport fuel, generation of thermal energy or energy efficiency, unless there are overlapping applications. The key sectors examined in detail include grid-connected solar photovoltaic (PV), off-grid solar PV, wind power, bioenergy, solar thermal and solar water heating.

The final findings and recommendations of the RETWS will be published on the Clean Energy Council website in September 2009.