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- 7 June 2007
Energy Sector Skills Shortages
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The Hon. MICHAEL VEITCH: My question is addressed to the Minister for Energy. Will the Minister update the House on efforts by the New South Wales Government to address the skills shortage in the energy sector?
The Hon. IAN MACDONALD: The Government has a strong focus on investing in young people. That is why we have invested $74 million to encourage the uptake of apprenticeships through workers compensation incentives. This package is expected to drive up the number of apprentices by 5 per cent, or an extra 1,000 apprentices a year. We have also committed to opening 10 new trade schools to increase opportunities for students to start an apprenticeship while at school, and to speed up their entry into the work force after they leave school. Nowhere is the need for committed and hardworking young people greater than in the electricity sector. The three State-owned electricity businesses are among the top employers of apprentices in New South Wales.
Let us consider the needs of the industry. In New South Wales, there are more than 290,000 kilometres of electricity wires and cables. To put that in some context, given the circumference of the Earth at the equator is just over 40,000 kilometres, 290,000 kilometres of wires and cables would wrap around the earth seven and a quarter times. There are 2.2 million power poles and 180,000 substations. These have to be regularly maintained and replaced. We are dealing with infrastructure on a massive scale. The Government is investing a massive $9.1 billion on electricity infrastructure—that is $6 million each day.
The result is world-class levels of reliability of between 99.94 per cent and 99.98 per cent. But it is not just about investing in wires and poles. It is a commitment to investing in our future and in our young people. This investment is paying dividends for our electricity businesses. Integral Energy, Country Energy and EnergyAustralia are some of the top employers of apprentices in the State, with apprenticeship numbers more than doubling over the past five years. At any given time there are 1,000 apprentices in the three businesses. EnergyAustralia is the biggest employer of apprentices in New South Wales and has been training apprentices since 1910. EnergyAustralia's apprentice recruitment numbers have tripled over the past four years. This year 164 apprentices have embarked on a career with EnergyAustralia, bringing the total number of apprentices currently in training to more than 500. Next month, I am pleased to say, EnergyAustralia will again open its doors and call for applications to recruit a further 150 apprentices to join its ranks in 2008, with registration open from 3 July to 2 August.
Integral Energy's intake represents a massive 500 per cent increase in its annual intake since 1997. It took in 64 apprentices earlier this year, some as young as 16. Next week, 15 more apprentices will begin their first day at Integral Energy and will have an opportunity to meet apprentices from across the State as the industry gathers at Rosehill for the annual New South Wales energy industry safety field day on 13 and 14 June. Early next year Integral Energy is due to open its new $11.5 million training centre at Hoxton Park, which will feature a simulated substation, covered electrical safety training area, lecture rooms and workshops.
Finally, Country Energy has created more than 620 apprenticeships across country and coastal New South Wales since 2001. In January this year, 114 new apprentices joined Country Energy's 4,000 strong workforce located across 142 customer and field service centres and corporate offices. The four-year apprenticeship opportunities include positions for powerline workers, electrical technicians, cable jointers, carpenters and gas distribution workers. Recently, Country Energy also announced the recruitment of an additional 24 indigenous apprentices across the State, further boosting local service levels. Indigenous apprenticeship opportunities with Country Energy for men and women in this intake include careers as line workers and electrical technicians in such places as Port Macquarie, Taree, Kempsey, Lismore, Bathurst, Albury, Bega and Dubbo. [ Time expired.]
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