“Can’t hire our way out:” Fortescue backs bid to train sparkies, electrify mining

One of Australia’s largest mining companies has partnered with TAFE to address a critical shortage of electricians that threatens to slow the nation’s renewable energy transition. 

Fortescue opened a purpose-built facility in Perth on Tuesday, in collaboration with two TAFE branches, to provide electrical, mechanical and emerging technology training. 

The announcement comes amid growing demand for skilled electrical tradespeople, and forecasts Australia will need 32,000 more electricians by 2030 – 27 per cent more than expected — to service energy projects. 

Perth’s Power Up Training Centre will host an electrical apprenticeship program by South Metropolitan TAFE and post-trade training in electric vehicles by North Metropolitan TAFE.

The mining giant will provide high-voltage battery equipment for apprentices, Fortescue chief executive Dino Otranto said, and had been planning the centre for two years. 

Electricians would be crucial to Fortescue’s future operations, he said, including the company’s high-voltage network and battery energy storage system. 

“We’re going to need about 1800 electricians at the peak of our decarbonisation program, which is happening in the next few years,” he told AAP.

“We realised we couldn’t simply hire our way out of the problem.”

The West Australian mining firm employs 120 electrical apprentices and will add another 48 in the 2027 financial year.

“This centre is really to address the problem as a whole so we’re not continuing to take off others and just pass on the problem,” Mr Otranto said. 

“It will be a venue where experienced tradespeople and engineering staff can rotate through and also lend their ear to an education role, which we think is a really, really important part of this announcement.”

Electricians represent the nation’s biggest skills shortage, according to the Clean Energy Capacity Study by Jobs and Skills Australia. 

It found Australia would need 32,000 more electricians by 2030 and 85,000 by 2050 to service renewable energy generation, while roles in emissions-intensive industries such as gas, petroleum and chemicals declined. 

Investing in training for existing electricians could also help the industry, according to a recent study by the Powering Skills Organisation, which found as many as two in three were unsuitable for roles due to skills gaps.

Expanding post-trade training opportunities and introducing a national licensing system could help to address shortages, chief executive Anthea Middleton said.

“When businesses cannot access enough skilled workers, projects slow down, costs rise and productivity suffers,” she said. 

Source: AAP