newy.com.au – The first students have started a new TAFE NSW diploma in Newcastle designed to prepare Hunter workers for jobs in renewable energy and advanced manufacturing.
The Diploma of Renewable, Sustainable and Circular Manufacturing Management is being delivered through the TAFE NSW Net Zero Manufacturing Centre of Excellence.
Structured as a higher apprenticeship, the course combines practical industry experience with technical, digital, management and leadership training. It is intended for workers involved in renewable energy projects, sustainable manufacturing and other emerging industries.
The centre has funding to provide up to 1000 free training places each year, covering people entering the workforce as well as existing workers seeking to retrain or upgrade their skills.
NSW Hunter Minister Yasmin Catley said most students already lived and worked in the region.
“The Hunter has powered NSW for generations and we have the people and the industry here to keep powering our future,” Ms Catley said.
The Australian and NSW governments jointly committed $56.21 million to establish the Newcastle centre under the National Skills Agreement. The Commonwealth is providing a further $5.274 million through measures supporting TAFE centres of excellence and higher apprenticeships.
The course is intended to help meet anticipated demand for skilled workers from the Hunter-Central Coast Renewable Energy Zone and the broader shift towards lower-emissions manufacturing.
Federal Skills and Training Minister Andrew Giles said the annual allocation of free places would give more workers an opportunity to retrain for emerging industries.
Federal Newcastle MP Sharon Claydon said the region should seek manufacturing and training opportunities as well as renewable energy generation.
“We want to see the Hunter not just as a place where renewable energy is generated, but as a place where we manufacture the technology, train the workers and create the jobs that will power Australia’s future,” Ms Claydon said.
NSW Skills, TAFE and Tertiary Education Minister Steve Whan said the qualification had been developed to combine advanced technical knowledge with digital and leadership skills sought by employers.
