Industry insights on skills needs
The top priority skills in the ESI Transmission, Distribution and Rail IRC's 2019 Skills Forecast required for the ESI Transmission, Distribution and Rail sector are health and safety and coding/programming. The top priority industry and occupation skills include transmission, cabling and electrical.
According to the job vacancy data, the top generic skills in demand are communication and planning. The top employers for workers in this industry were Origin Energy Limited and Energy Queensland.
The top generic skills listed in the ESI Transmission, Distribution and Rail IRC’s 2019 Skills Forecast in order of importance to the industry are:
- Technology
- Design mindset / Thinking critically / System thinking / Solving problems
- Learning agility / information literacy / intellectual autonomy and self-management
- Science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM)
- Language, literacy and numeracy (LLN).
The way electricity is stored and distributed is undergoing a period of technological change. Industry reports and the ESI Transmission, Distribution and Rail IRC's 2019 Skills Forecast have identified this shift in technology as a key challenge in skill development for the workforce.
Challenges and opportunities for this sector identified in the ESI Transmission, Distribution and Rail IRC’s 2019 Skills Forecast include:
- Emerging technologies: The future grid will require the deployment of new smart technologies such as computer diagnostics of device faults and advanced communications requirements to provide two-way flows of data/energy and a workforce that has been prepared to work with intelligent technical support equipment. Rail signalling is moving towards fully digital control systems that monitor and manage train movements in response to the use of driverless trains. Robust training and assessment regimes are required to ensure the future safety and integrity of rail signalling systems.
- Environmental concerns and diversification of the network: The adoption of renewable electricity, including sources from wind, solar, hydro, and bioenergy is becoming more prevalent and important. For example, the proliferation of wind and solar generating units, battery storage, hydro power, etc has given rise to Distributed Energy Resources (DER), small-scale units of local generation connected to the grid at distribution level. It is predicted that up to 45 per cent of all electricity in the grid will be generated by customers in 2050. Such changes will present significant challenges and opportunities to develop a skilled workforce to meet the technical and regulatory challenges in the future.
- The electricity grid has become more dependent on digitally connected information systems which requires Skill Sets of highly trained individuals to protect not only consumers' personal information but also grid infrastructure. The current cross-sector project addressing cyber security skills may afford the opportunity to develop an ESI-TDR Skill Set utilising imported Units of Competency developed to meet this need.
The ESI Transmission, Distribution and Rail IRC’s 2020 Skills Forecast (Annual Update) highlights the challenges and opportunities discussed in the ESI Transmission, Distribution and Rail IRC’s 2019 Skills Forecast are still transforming the electricity distribution sector. The Annual Update identifies several technological impacts that require workforce planning and skill development including: the Internet of Things (IoT), connection of devices, sensors and data collection tools are enabling real-time data on electricity use; new software technologies are altering the operation of Distributed Energy Resources (DERs) by forecasting peak demand periods; Virtual Power Plants (VPPs) are allowing integration of electricity generated by solar panels, wind farms, and consumers with stored solar power; smart energy networks. The importance of an industry specific cyber security training program is also reiterated. Other industry workforce, skills developments or trends to emerge since the ESI Transmission, Distribution and Rail IRC’s 2019 Skills Forecast include:
- Energy literacy – a report commissioned by National Energy Resources Australia (NERA) suggests there needs to be a greater industry impetus to improve energy understanding in the community and a co-ordinated national approach to enable a transition to a carbon-free future.
- Energy pricing – cost containment is a high priority for the industry, and strong policy design and smart meters could assist consumers spending a high proportion of their income on electricity.
- Renewable technologies – the skills needed for the installation, maintenance and operation of hydropower, solar and wind generation will be focus of the industry for the next few years as the energy sector shifts to higher proportions of generation from renewable sources.
The ESI Transmission, Distribution and Rail IRC’s 2021 Industry Outlook continues the discussion on the effect on the sector’s workforce by the decentralisation of the electricity network and DERs. It states the interaction of consumers with the grid is changing radically, including the ability to store surplus energy, inject it back into the grid, or buy and sell energy from, for example, peer-to-peer (p2p) trading platforms. The workforce will need digital and customer service skills to enable them to meet changing customer expectations. In relation to safety and skills currency, the IRC has identified a need to review refresher units for workers in the ESI industry, and to develop a new unit for live low voltage energised work. The report also notes there are number of large scale projects for electricity interconnectors requiring construction of new transmission infrastructure, and changes in the processes regarding working with live lines in the Rail Traction sub-sector.
The UET Power and Network Systems: Case for Change states energy networks within Australia are evolving on an unprecedented scale requiring an electricity system that can support these changes. Distributed Energy Resources (DER) such as solar PVs, battery storage, and wind generating units connecting to the electricity grid can improve electricity supply reliability and reduce load on grids at peak times. The national electricity grid needs to be maintained and expanded with greater connectivity of grids on a broader scale.
The Lower Emissions Technology Statement 2021, the second statement to accompany the Commonwealth Government Technology Investment Roadmap, introduces the category of investment in enabling infrastructure which includes a digital grid with enhanced management systems and capabilities to support rapid growth in solar and wind generation. This investment intends to complement the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) Integrated System Plan (ISP). The ISP is updated every two years, and AEMO states the ISP aims to maximise value to end consumers by designing the lowest cost, secure and reliable energy system capable of meeting any emissions trajectory determined by policy makers at an acceptable level of risk. It fully utilises the opportunities provided from existing technologies and anticipated innovations in Distributed Energy Resources (DER), large-scale generation, networks and coupled sectors such as gas and transport. Scenario analysis for the 2020 ISP estimates DERs could double or triple by 2040, and DER could provide up to 13% to 22% of total underlying annual National Energy Market energy consumption by 2050.
Distributed energy resources were investigated in the Western Australian Inquiry into the Emergence and Impact of Microgrids and Associated Technologies in Western Australia. The final report notes the rapid pace of change, the extent of innovation, and the opportunities along the value chain that include their ability to act as reliable, dispatchable energy and over-generation balancing resources and can reduce system costs by deferring or removing the need to invest in new or replacement infrastructure. Smart meters and telecommunications technology are integral to the success of implementation. To take advantage of these opportunities, the regulatory structure will need to be updated and remain flexible to be able to incorporate future innovation.
Major transmission projects are also progressing, which include the EnergyConnect interconnector between New South Wales and South Australia, the Marinus Link between Tasmania and Victoria, and the Australia-ASEAN Power Link (AAPL) which will connect the solar/storage facility in the Tennant Creek region to Darwin, Singapore and Indonesia.
The ESI Transmission, Distribution and Rail IRC’s 2021 Industry Outlook shows the current workforce average age is 42.5, and the ageing rate is 1.5 times faster than all industries. The Infrastructure Workforce and Skills Supply report states over 40% of the current workers comprising the infrastructure workforce are likely to retire within the next 15 years. The report, and the related Infrastructure Market Capacity report, includes Electrical Linesworker among the occupations likely need to increase by a minimum 50% and to experience shortage within the next five years. The Skills Priority List includes Electrical Linesworker, Technical Cable Jointer, Electrical Engineering Draftsperson, and Electrical Engineering Technician under occupations in national shortage, with moderate future demand. Occupations in national shortage, with strong future demand include Electrician (General), Electrician (Special Class), and Electrical Engineer. Market Capacity for Electricity Generation and Transmission Projects reports growth in demand for labour within large-scale renewable energy, rooftop solar, battery storage and transmission construction is projected to climb to over 40,000 for most of the study period (2021 to 2036) and towards 50,000 jobs at times, but the volatility in demand makes it difficult to attract and retain workers. Industry concerns in relation to shortages were especially acute in relation to transmission lineworkers and electrical specialists for substations, and the shortages were due to a combination of factors including significant lead-times for retraining lineworkers from other sources, limited training providers and training packages, and the project length is generally shorter than the length of an apprenticeship.
