A new internship initiative, NSW Skills for Net Zero, is offering local businesses an opportunity to bring fresh talent into their workforce while working toward the state’s 2050 net zero goal.
NSW Skills for Net Zero is a chance for businesses to invest in the workforce of tomorrow by providing practical experience and mentoring to a high-quality student intern.
Funded by the NSW Government and delivered by CSIRO, the program supports up to 100 paid internship placements between 2025 and 2028. These placements are targeted at workplaces engaged in projects that contribute to cutting emissions across a range of sectors. The initiative is open to businesses based in NSW with at least five employees and projects focused on decarbonisation.
Eligible employers will receive a subsidy of up to $2,500 to help cover intern wages. More importantly, they’ll have access to students who are ready to contribute their skills to real-world sustainability work.
Placements can be arranged flexibly, either part-time or full-time, and can occur at any time of year. Each intern must work a minimum of 200 paid hours at no less than $25 per hour, under a formal employment contract.
Participating businesses will be supported throughout the process by CSIRO, which provides recruitment, placement, and onboarding assistance. Interns are also assigned a workplace supervisor or mentor, helping to ensure both learning and productivity during their time with the host company.
The program is designed to help address current workforce gaps. Labour shortages and a lack of specialist skills are proving a challenge for many employers involved in clean energy, low-emissions transport, agtech, infrastructure and other emissions-reduction fields.
By working with students through this program, companies can begin to develop internal capacity for long-term decarbonisation goals while lowering their future recruitment and onboarding costs.
The internship scheme accepts a wide variety of project types. Examples include renewable energy development, electric vehicle services, biomanufacturing, synthetic biology, sustainable finance, and low-emissions agriculture.
Participating businesses must nominate a suitable supervisor, be prepared to provide a safe and appropriate workplace, and have a decarbonisation-related project ready to go. The internship must be based in NSW and cannot be hosted by government or education institutions.
For students, the scheme offers real-world experience in a growing sector. Participants will be paid to work on practical projects and receive guidance from industry mentors. The goal is to help graduates move directly into decarbonisation-focused roles.
Applications are now open for both eligible businesses and students. With only 100 placements available over three years, early interest is encouraged.
Dates to remember:
5 August 2025 Expression of Interest (EOI) applications open
21 October 2025 EOI Application Close at 11:59PM AEDT.
Interested parties are encouraged to attend information webinars happening on July 17 and July 29, 2025.
