The first students have begun training at Newcastle’s Net Zero Manufacturing Centre of Excellence, taking a qualification designed to help workers apply renewable energy and circular economy practices within manufacturing.
Most of the inaugural cohort already live and work in the Hunter and have commenced the Diploma of Renewable, Sustainable and Circular Manufacturing Management, delivered by TAFE NSW as a Higher Apprenticeship.
The course combines technical training with project management and leadership, but its manufacturing focus sets the context for the renewable energy skills being taught. Students learn how technologies including solar PV, wind and hydrogen can be integrated into manufacturing operations, while also examining energy performance, circular economy practices and digital industrial systems.
The NSW Government announced the commencement of the first cohort on 27 August, linking the training with renewable energy and manufacturing opportunities in the Hunter, including those associated with the Hunter-Central Coast Renewable Energy Zone.
Bringing energy and circularity into manufacturing
Rather than separating renewable energy from the operation of industrial businesses, the diploma brings the two together.
The students will learn to assess renewable energy options for manufacturing and evaluate energy data and system performance. They will also develop business cases for sustainability improvements and learn how circular economy principles can be applied to reduce waste and improve industrial efficiency.
Digital technologies are incorporated into the same training. The course covers automation, Internet of Things technology and manufacturing execution systems, as well as supervisory control and data acquisition systems used to monitor and control industrial processes.
The workplace is part of the training model rather than something students enter after graduating. Applicants must already be working in a relevant industry and be able to undertake learning and assessment connected with their workplace duties. TAFE NSW recommends previous experience in manufacturing, engineering, sustainability or renewable energy.
That makes the first intake predominantly an upskilling proposition for people already connected with industry, alongside the opportunity to retrain workers as the Hunter’s industrial and energy sectors change.
Higher apprenticeship links work with further study
The diploma is one of the Higher Apprenticeships being delivered through the TAFE NSW Manufacturing Centres of Excellence, a joint Australian and NSW government initiative under the National Skills Agreement.
The Newcastle centre specialises in net zero and sustainable manufacturing, while centres in Western Sydney and the Illawarra focus on advanced manufacturing and heavy industry manufacturing respectively.
At Newcastle, the diploma sits alongside shorter training designed around particular industry needs, including renewable energy solutions for manufacturing and sustainable work practices.
Federal Member for Newcastle Sharon Claydon said the approach was intended to keep both training and its resulting workforce within the region.
“Investing in TAFE and higher apprenticeships means local people can get the training they need without having to leave the Hunter, and local businesses can access the skilled workforce they need to grow.”
First cohort puts the Hunter program into practice
The arrival of the first diploma students puts one part of the governments’ planned clean manufacturing training program into operation.
The Australian and NSW governments jointly invested $56.21 million to establish the Newcastle centre under the National Skills Agreement. The Australian Government is providing a further $5.274 million to support the centre and higher apprenticeships.
The centre includes funding for up to 1,000 free training places each year, covering workers seeking new skills, upskilling or retraining for renewable energy, advanced manufacturing and clean industries.
It also forms part of the NSW Renewable Energy Skills Strategy, which is intended to build the workforce needed to deliver the state’s Electricity Infrastructure Roadmap, with particular attention to skills and employment opportunities in regional communities.
The strategy identifies the Newcastle centre as a way to train, retrain and upskill 1,000 apprentices and workers in the Hunter for the net zero economy, while increasing access to renewable energy training elsewhere in northern NSW.
The first intake brings that broader workforce plan down to the level of people already working in the region. According to the NSW Government, most of the students beginning the diploma already live and work locally.
Minister for the Hunter Yasmin Catley said that local participation reflected demand for the training.
“Most students in this first intake already live and work locally, showing the demand for training that leads to secure, rewarding careers close to home and the opportunities being created right here in the Hunter.”
