TAFE Gippsland leads Victorian Renewable Energy TAFE Centre of Excellence

The energy sector is transforming, creating new career opportunities for people across Victoria and around the country. Supporting this growing sector requires a skilled workforce and training that can keep pace with changing technologies and industry needs.

To meet these workforce demands, TAFE Gippsland is leading the Victorian Renewable Energy TAFE Centre of Excellence (VRET CoE). The VRET CoE brings together industry, government and training partners to help develop the workforce needed for Australia's growing renewable energy sector.

Jointly funded by the Australian and Victorian Governments, the VRET CoE focuses on the skills needed across energy generation, modern distribution and transmission, home electrification and digital technologies.

The VRET CoE is not a single building, campus or team. It is a statewide network led by TAFE Gippsland in partnership with Federation TAFE, Holmesglen Institute and South West TAFE.

Each TAFE contributes its existing capabilities, expertise, facilities, industry relationships and community reach. Led by TAFE Gippsland, the network provides a coordinated way for industry to engage with TAFE on renewable energy workforce and training needs.

Through the network, the VRET CoE identifies emerging workforce needs and co-designs training and pathways that help industry build the workforce it needs, while helping people develop skills for new and evolving careers.

The VRET CoE also supports the development and sharing of innovative approaches to training, including targeted short courses, immersive simulation, virtual and augmented reality, and other digital technologies.

As lead partner, TAFE Gippsland will help ensure the VRET CoE's initiatives are informed by workforce needs and diverse perspectives, bringing together industry, TAFEs, learners, communities and other partners to shape responsive training solutions.

Expected outcomes

The VRET CoE aims to:

  • increase training capacity and quality
  • build a job-ready and inclusive renewable energy workforce
  • strengthen digital and technology skills
  • improve coordination between industry, government, education and community
  • increase access to training in regional areas
  • support workers to transition and upskill
  • contribute to the economic and environmental benefits of the energy transition.

Training will be supported by existing, new purpose-built and refurbished renewable energy facilities across the network, including a new Digital Hub at TAFE Gippsland’s Morwell campus and upgraded facilities at Holmesglen Institute’s Energy Supply Industry training centre in Chadstone.

Interested to know more?