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ACCIONA invests in the future of renewable energy through its support of the APRETC

Energy
28 of September, 2020
  • The future of the renewable energy sector looks a lot brighter with Federation University recently confirming that it will be proceeding with plans to establish the Asia Pacific Renewable Energy Tech-Transition Centre (APRETC)
  • The state-of-the-art facility, to be located at the University’s Mt Helen Campus, will help to meet the renewable energy sector’s increasing demand for a skilled workforce

The suggestion of a Victorian based training facility was first raised by renewable energy industry members as part of the Victorian Renewable Energy Target (VRET) reverse auction, which was held back in September 2018.

The training facility has received funding from several industry figures, with ACCIONA one of the first organisations to support the idea and commit financial assistance. To date, APRETC has secured close to $2 million in industry funding, with ACCIONA’s contribution helping to bring to life a technical training module, including a specialised safety and heights component, compliant with the Global Wind Organisation’s training standards.

Construction on the centre is slated to begin in 2021, and once completed, will act as a vehicle to deliver vocational training that will support the need for skilled employees.

It is anticipated that over the next 10 years APRETEC will help to train and educate over 10,000 students with the specialist training centre scheduled to be up and running in 2021. It will also provide a national training pathway for turbine and blade technicians, something not currently on offer anywhere in Australia.

ACCIONA’s Australian Managing Director for Energy, Brett Wickham, said that he was extremely proud to support the initiative. “ACCIONA is committed to the professional success and the development of our employees, continuously investing in the advancement of our professional talent. Initiatives like this provide us with an opportunity to support the next generation of talent and opens the door for others to join us and be part of this fantastic industry”.

“If Australia is serious about making the move to renewables, we need to supply the talent to match the demand, and the APRETC will go a long way to help support this growth” said Wickham.

For more information, contact Emma Reiners:
emma.reiners@acciona.com
0420 643 447