NECA Victoria welcomes Regional Energy Jobs Guarantee
NECA Victoria welcomes Regional Energy Jobs Guarantee
NECA Victoria has welcomed the Victorian Government’s Regional Energy Jobs Guarantee and broader Victorian Energy Jobs Plan, describing the announcement as a significant investment in regional communities, skills and the workforce that will be required to deliver Victoria’s energy transition.
NECA Victoria Executive Director John Sofarnos said the announcement recognises the central role electricians, apprentices, electrical contractors and the wider electrotechnology workforce will play in building, connecting and maintaining the infrastructure needed to support a modern, reliable and lower emissions energy system.
“NECA Victoria welcomes the Victorian Government’s commitment to growing the energy workforce and ensuring regional Victoria shares directly in the jobs and economic opportunities that will flow from the state’s energy transformation,” Mr Sofarnos said.
“This is a substantial and important commitment. It recognises that Victoria’s energy transition will only be delivered if the state also invests in the people, skills and businesses needed to build it.”
The Victorian Government has announced that the Victorian Energy Jobs Plan will support 68,000 energy jobs by 2040, with 37 per cent of those jobs expected to be in regional.The plan also identifies electricians among the occupations that will be in strongest demand.
Mr Sofarnos said the announcement was a welcome acknowledgement that energy policy and workforce policy must be developed together.
“Victoria’s energy transition is not only an infrastructure task, it is a workforce task. Delivering renewable generation, transmission and distribution upgrades, storage, electrification and broader energy system investment will depend on having a strong pipeline of skilled electrical workers and capable contracting businesses across metropolitan and regional Victoria,” he said.
“Electrical contractors will be central to this work. Our industry trains apprentices, employs local workers, supports regional economies and delivers the electrical infrastructure that homes, businesses, industry and communities rely upon every day.”
Mr Sofarnos said NECA Victoria particularly welcomed the Government’s focus on apprenticeship training and increasing participation in the energy workforce, including measures to encourage more women into the sector.
“A strong training and apprenticeship pipeline is essential if Victoria is to meet the scale of the challenge ahead. We must also ensure there are enough skilled electricians coming through the system, enough employers supported to take on apprentices, and enough industry capacity to deliver projects safely, efficiently and to a high standard,” he said.
“Electrical contractors do more than complete projects. They train the next generation of tradespeople, invest in supervision and compliance, and provide the practical delivery capability that turns policy ambition into real infrastructure on the ground.”
Mr Sofarnos said NECA Victoria is committed to working closely with the Victorian Government, and industry stakeholders to help ensure the plan translates into lasting workforce capability and genuine opportunities for Victorian businesses and workers.
“NECA Victoria stands ready to work in partnership with Government to help deliver the skilled workforce this transition will require. We want to work constructively on workforce development, training pathways, apprenticeship support and industry participation so that this investment delivers enduring benefits for Victoria,” he said.
“Our members are the businesses that will be helping to build and maintain much of this infrastructure. They are already training apprentices, employing local workers and delivering essential electrical work in communities across the state. With the right settings, this plan can strengthen that capability and create lasting opportunities for regional Victoria.”
Mr Sofarnos said the announcement provides a strong platform for industry and government to work together to build a larger, more diverse and more resilient electrical workforce for the future.
“This is good news for Victoria, good news for regional communities and good news for the next generation of electrical workers. NECA Victoria welcomes the Government’s leadership and looks forward to working with it to help ensure Victoria has the workforce, training pipeline and industry capability needed to deliver the transition successfully,” he said.