Education and Training Minister Sue Ellery and Energy Minister Bill Johnston today launched a new training program to upskill Western Power staff at North Metropolitan TAFE's East Perth campus.
The collaboration between North Metropolitan TAFE (NMT) and Western Power will provide workers with the opportunity to gain new skills and knowledge about Stand-alone Power Systems (SPS) in a hands-on, practical setting.
SPS units combine solar and battery technology with a backup generator which provides enough storage to provide two days' supply of electricity.
The training at NMT will be integral to support the State Government's rollout of SPS units across the South West Interconnected Network.
In February, Mr Johnston announced Australia's largest rollout of units with 57 units to be installed across the South West Interconnected Network in regional areas including Tambellup, Mullewa, Newdegate and Bonnie Rock.
The partnership with NMT will play an essential part in Western Power's commitment to meet the growing opportunity to supply greener non-traditional network solutions such as SPS.
An initial cohort of 15 participants are currently undergoing training, with the ability
to train more in the future.
Two courses will be available including SPS Familiarisation and Repair and Maintain SPS to support the installation, maintenance and fault response for SPS.
As stated by Education and Training Minister Sue Ellery:
"The WA workforce is adapting to technological change in industry, and this first training group shows that by increasing their skills and knowledge they can deliver contemporary solutions to the energy sector.
"The McGowan Government continues to increase opportunities to train Western Australians for the jobs of the future."
As stated by Energy Minister Bill Johnston:
"The McGowan Government is committed to not only investing in the technology of the future but also investing in the Western Australians who will deliver it to the community.
"This partnership with TAFE, which will build on the extensive technical and local knowledge that regional workers have, will help deliver great outcomes for homes and businesses."
