❓ The Minister for Training outlines the WA government's initiatives to build a workforce for clean energy jobs, highlighting collaboration with industry, TAFEs, and the federal government, and investments in training facilities across the state.
AnsweredQoN 556Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
TRAINING — RENEWABLE ENERGY
556. Ms C.M. ROWE to the Minister for Training:
I refer to the national Skills and
Workforce Ministerial Council meeting held in Perth last week, which included a
focus on preparing our workforce for the energy transition.
(1) Can the minister outline to the house what this
government is doing to build Western Australia's workforce for
new and emerging clean energy jobs?
(2) Can the minister advise the house how the
government's commitment to reaching net zero emissions by 2050
is creating new opportunities for Western Australians in renewable energy
industries?
556. Ms C.M. ROWE to the Minister for Training:
I refer to the national Skills and
Workforce Ministerial Council meeting held in Perth last week, which included a
focus on preparing our workforce for the energy transition.
(1) Can the minister outline to the house what this
government is doing to build Western Australia's workforce for
new and emerging clean energy jobs?
(2) Can the minister advise the house how the
government's commitment to reaching net zero emissions by 2050
is creating new opportunities for Western Australians in renewable energy
industries?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(2) I
am really pleased to speak about this issue, because it is so connected to the
themes we heard from the Premier when he spoke at the Seven West Media
breakfast a couple of weeks ago, and the announcement today about the
investment in the north west interconnected system and the south west
interconnected system. The message is very clear from our government that we
take climate change seriously and we are transitioning our economy to not just
deal with climate change, but also go one step further and take up the
opportunities that come with a clean energy future. I am really confident of
our ability to leverage off the many natural resources and also the building
and industry capacity we have in our state to make that transition. I was able
to showcase that, as the member said, to my state and territory training
counterparts and the federal minister in Perth on Friday. Where better a place
to meet than in Fremantle? It was really fantastic to show them around the
local TAFE facility in Fremantle, including the jobs and skills centre, and to
also talk about the sort of work being done by the state government through our
TAFEs and private providers. Importantly, we talked about the very
sophisticated relationship we have with industry to gear up for the next stage
of our economy.
We are working to finalise a new
five-year agreement with the federal government. That is important because it comes with money. I note that the
previous federal government could not reach agreement with the states or
territories; no states or territories would sign up to an agreement by the time
the federal government left office. This government has given us money for
fee-free places, and we are now very close
to reaching a new five-year agreement, so I welcome that. We have a number of
priority areas in that five-year agreement. One of them will be the
transition to clean energy.
As
I said, I was able to give people an idea of what was happening in Western Australia.
We could not let the chance go by while federal ministers were meeting here to
showcase what we have throughout the whole of our state. As I look around 360
degrees of our chamber, I can see parts of our state that are represented by
Labor members. I look at the Kimberley, the midwest, the Pilbara, the south
west and the great southern. All of
those areas have opportunities to transition. Through opportunities in wind,
solar, batteries and hydrogen , we are
expecting to create about 350 000 jobs here in Western Australia by 2050.
Obviously, we need a skilled trained workforce to do that. As I said, we are
working closely with industry, TAFE and universities to deliver the training
needed to help our state's workforce work in areas like construction
and engineering and in electrical trades. As I said, Central Regional TAFE—the
member for Geraldton knows this well—is responding to meet the
workforce requirements of wind and solar farms and the exciting potential of
Oakajee renewable hydrogen. In North
Metropolitan TAFE, we will have a wind turbine and ''working at heights'' training tower as part of the
commonwealth's TAFE technology fund. At the moment, more than 1 000
electrical apprentices are training in North Metro TAFE. South Metropolitan
TAFE is home to the Australian-leading Australian Centre for Energy and Process
Training. It is the only process facility of its kind in the Southern
Hemisphere. Industry is expecting that that will transition to support clean
energy work. North Regional TAFE, through the Pilbara hydrogen hub, is
positioned to deliver essential training and cutting-edge research for the
Pilbara. Finally, South Regional TAFE is involved in the Collie Just Transition
diversification project, worth $347 million. Our work around vocational
training is central to those efforts.
It is very exciting to see the work
that has been done, not for the future—not off in the never-never—but now. We need to train auto-electricians,
people involved in energy and batteries—for example, with electric vehicles. Just today, the federal skills minister and I were at the opening of
BHP's FutureFit Academy in Forrestfield. That is a massive facility.
Again, North and South Metro TAFEs are cooperating with BHP. That is a fantastic
facility and one that I am very proud of.
am really pleased to speak about this issue, because it is so connected to the
themes we heard from the Premier when he spoke at the Seven West Media
breakfast a couple of weeks ago, and the announcement today about the
investment in the north west interconnected system and the south west
interconnected system. The message is very clear from our government that we
take climate change seriously and we are transitioning our economy to not just
deal with climate change, but also go one step further and take up the
opportunities that come with a clean energy future. I am really confident of
our ability to leverage off the many natural resources and also the building
and industry capacity we have in our state to make that transition. I was able
to showcase that, as the member said, to my state and territory training
counterparts and the federal minister in Perth on Friday. Where better a place
to meet than in Fremantle? It was really fantastic to show them around the
local TAFE facility in Fremantle, including the jobs and skills centre, and to
also talk about the sort of work being done by the state government through our
TAFEs and private providers. Importantly, we talked about the very
sophisticated relationship we have with industry to gear up for the next stage
of our economy.
We are working to finalise a new
five-year agreement with the federal government. That is important because it comes with money. I note that the
previous federal government could not reach agreement with the states or
territories; no states or territories would sign up to an agreement by the time
the federal government left office. This government has given us money for
fee-free places, and we are now very close
to reaching a new five-year agreement, so I welcome that. We have a number of
priority areas in that five-year agreement. One of them will be the
transition to clean energy.
As
I said, I was able to give people an idea of what was happening in Western Australia.
We could not let the chance go by while federal ministers were meeting here to
showcase what we have throughout the whole of our state. As I look around 360
degrees of our chamber, I can see parts of our state that are represented by
Labor members. I look at the Kimberley, the midwest, the Pilbara, the south
west and the great southern. All of
those areas have opportunities to transition. Through opportunities in wind,
solar, batteries and hydrogen , we are
expecting to create about 350 000 jobs here in Western Australia by 2050.
Obviously, we need a skilled trained workforce to do that. As I said, we are
working closely with industry, TAFE and universities to deliver the training
needed to help our state's workforce work in areas like construction
and engineering and in electrical trades. As I said, Central Regional TAFE—the
member for Geraldton knows this well—is responding to meet the
workforce requirements of wind and solar farms and the exciting potential of
Oakajee renewable hydrogen. In North
Metropolitan TAFE, we will have a wind turbine and ''working at heights'' training tower as part of the
commonwealth's TAFE technology fund. At the moment, more than 1 000
electrical apprentices are training in North Metro TAFE. South Metropolitan
TAFE is home to the Australian-leading Australian Centre for Energy and Process
Training. It is the only process facility of its kind in the Southern
Hemisphere. Industry is expecting that that will transition to support clean
energy work. North Regional TAFE, through the Pilbara hydrogen hub, is
positioned to deliver essential training and cutting-edge research for the
Pilbara. Finally, South Regional TAFE is involved in the Collie Just Transition
diversification project, worth $347 million. Our work around vocational
training is central to those efforts.
It is very exciting to see the work
that has been done, not for the future—not off in the never-never—but now. We need to train auto-electricians,
people involved in energy and batteries—for example, with electric vehicles. Just today, the federal skills minister and I were at the opening of
BHP's FutureFit Academy in Forrestfield. That is a massive facility.
Again, North and South Metro TAFEs are cooperating with BHP. That is a fantastic
facility and one that I am very proud of.
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