Clean energy TAFE Centre of Excellence to be built in Tas

A new $27m Clean Energy Centre of Excellence will be established in Burnie, where students will be trained to help expedite the nation’s transition to net zero emissions. Jointly funded by the state and federal governments, the centre will be based at the TasTAFE Burnie campus. Federal Skills and Training Minister Andrew Giles said the centre of excellence would “give students the critical skills to work on the renewable technologies Australia will need to successfully reach our goals”. TasNetworks apprentice Ethan Jackson speaks to federal Labor candidate for Lyons, Rebecca White, and Minister Giles. Picture: Simon McGuire “This Centre of Excellence will provide students with practical experience, which we know is such an important element of training, and means graduates will be ready to join the workforce right away,” he said. “Partnerships like this one, between governments, training organisations and industry, are the best way to deliver the skills people need for good, secure work and careers.” The Australian government has set a legislated target of reaching net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Related stories: Albanese pledges free TAFE to help ease workforce shortages | Here's how paying tradies to be TAFE teachers works | $35m for new Cairns TAFE to train care and support workers As part of this push, the new centre of excellence will see students learn about the design, construction, and maintenance of renewable energy infrastructure. Key features of the centre include a pilot STEM careers hub, strategies to boost training rates and access, and the redevelopment of an energy trades facility at TasTAFE’s Burnie campus. Tasmanian Skills and Training Minister Felix Ellis said the state government had an “ambitious renewable energy agenda” and wanted to “ensure we have the workforce to match”. Minister Felix Ellis. Picture: Tasmanian Government “It’s so important that we open as many doors as we can to get more young Tasmanians on the tools and skilled-up in their chosen field, particularly in our regions,” he said. “We know that by investing in skills and training, we’re showing the next generation of young Tasmanians that you don’t need to go to university to have great opportunities in life.” Industry experts and academics from other TAFEs and universities will work with the new centre on the design and delivery of training, with students to be provided with opportunities to participate in groundbreaking research. The centre will form partnerships with the renewable energy industry, Jobs and Skills Councils, universities, employers, and unions. Tasmania’s own Climate Change Action Plan has a target of net zero emissions or lower from 2030 and a doubling of the state’s renewable energy production by 2040. According to the landmark Paris Agreement, worldwide emissions need to be cut by 45 per cent by 2030 and net zero needs to be reached by 2050 in order to keep global warming to no more than 1.5 degrees, which would reduce some of the deadliest impacts of climate change.