A group of Narromine High School students has been given a glimpse of job opportunities in the booming renewables sector as part of a first-time course at TAFE NSW Dubbo recently.

Fifteen year 10, 11 and 12 students from Narromine High School attended the inaugural "Renewables Ready" two-day course, many of whom had shown an interest in forging a career in the electrical trades.

It comes as the Central West Renewable Energy Zone (REZ), including a host of new wind and solar farms, and a large-scale battery storage system linked to the REZ – which covers about 20,000 square kilometres around Dubbo, Dunedoo, Mudgee, Narromine, Wellington and Gilgandra – is designed to unlock up to 4.5GW of renewable energy capacity initially, rising to 6GW later.

According to Jobs and Skills Australia, up to 450,000 jobs are expected to be created in Australia’s clean energy construction sector by 2030, representing around one-third of all jobs growth nationally.

TAFE NSW Dubbo electrotechnology teacher Peter Clarke, who delivered the course, said the program helped broaden students’ understanding of the career opportunities emerging in the renewables sector.

“These young people will be at the forefront of the future renewables workforce, and for many of them, this was their first real insight into what that industry looks like,” Mr Woodlands said.

“Many students didn’t realise the scale of the industry in our own region, or just how many jobs will be created in the years ahead.”

Mr Clarke said the course touched on solar, wind, hydro and battery power, and included a number of interactive, hands-on experiments. Representatives from Essential Energy also gave a presentation to students outlining the company’s apprenticeship training program.

This program was coordinated through the Regional Industry Education Partnerships (RIEP) program that designs and delivers bespoke opportunities for employers to connect with secondary schools.

Through these connections, students learn about jobs and pathways to employment. They develop new skills and employer networks, allowing them to make informed decisions about their career pathways. Employers also have the opportunity to educate students about their industry and actively participate in the development of talent pipelines.

Narromine High year 10 student Beau Elder said the informative and interactive nature of the course had strengthened his resolve to pursue a career in the electrical trades.

“It was really interesting and before the course, I wasn’t sure whether I wanted to be an electrician or a diesel mechanic,” Beau, 15, said.

“I didn’t know much about renewables but the activities were so interesting and hands-on, and the industry really appeals to me now.”

Narromine High School careers adviser Natasha Freeth said the course had opened students’ eyes to the scale of employment opportunities emerging in the renewables sector across the Central West.

“Renewables are going to be such a huge employment area in the Central West and a lot of these students didn’t realise how many avenues they can pursue,” Ms Freeth said.

“The experiments in the course were ordered really well and helped slowly build the students’ knowledge.”