Energy Efficiency Project Underway

As Victoria works towards meeting its renewable energy targets, Future Energy Skills (FES) takes pride in contributing to workforce capability development to achieve this objective. FES is actively engaged in various projects related to workforce development within the electrotechnology industry. 

One notable project, developed in collaboration with the Electrical Trade Union of Victoria (ETU), centers on an energy efficiency course for licensed electricians. This course is intended to enhance their knowledge and evolve their current practices to improve energy efficiency and manage energy setups more effectively. 

The project encompasses an accreditation process involving the Accreditation Steering Committee and the Curriculum Maintenance Manager to secure approval from the qualifications authority. Industry involvement was crucial, with numerous agencies in the electrical sector participating. 

Accreditation marks only the first step; to make a course available for delivery, resources such as learner content, trainer resources, and assessments must be created. Tony, a Project Lead at FES, along with subject matter experts and course content writers, embarked on the journey of developing the training resources. Tony’s extensive experience in overseeing similar projects during his tenure in the TAFE sector, coupled with his expertise in energy efficiency, significantly contributes to this endeavour. 

The development of reliable and up-to-date resource content is an intricate process. It requires the FES team to collaborate with several subject matter experts to integrate current industry practices. Regular meetings are held with content writers, subject matter experts, industry representatives, and key stakeholders to ensure the content aligns with industry standards, regulatory requirements, and training benchmarks. 

The course comprises three units of competency, allowing licensed A-grade electricians to undertake training in either the domestic or commercial stream, or both. By completing the course, electricians will be equipped with the skills and knowledge necessary to promote electrical efficiency awareness among clients, develop electrification plans, and analyse real-time energy usage data to recommend improvements for increased efficiency. 

While the course is still under development, it is scheduled to be available for delivery in the second half of 2025.