Electricians are a critical part of our quest to address climate change
Imagine a society without electricity. No lights, no refrigeration, no communications, no computers or IT. Society would grind to a halt. Electricity is a modern lifeblood — as necessary as food, air and water.
Electricity is also the technical pathway to addressing climate change. The energy transition to low emission technologies is the most urgent challenge for societies globally. We have about 15 gigawatts (GW) of residential solar installed in Australia, with capacity for about 45 GW. And we need to build 40 wind
turbines every month through to 2030 to meet the government’s emission targets.
This means that many more electricians are needed now and into the future because electricians are the experts at bringing low emissions energy capabilities to us all.
I have seen this in action firsthand during my career. Electricians were critical for me as I worked in the research and development of new sensor technologies. This required daily interactions where their skills enabled all the critical components to be joined up electrically, safely and sustainably.
“We will need around 32,000 more electricians by 2030. By 2050, this jumps to an additional 85,000”
We have an electrician skills shortage here in Australia. Forecasts from Jobs and Skills Australia predict that we will need around 32,000 more electricians by 2030. By 2050, this jumps to an additional 85,000 electricians needed for the construction, ongoing operations and maintenance of the new low emissions
infrastructure.
This demand for electricians means there will never be a problem finding a well-paid job close to home. And electricians are a critical contributor to our quest to address climate change. I hope this job kit will provide you with the support you need to be part of this action.
Dr Cathy Foley, Australia’s Chief Scientist in 2021-2024
Cathy’s pathway
- Bachelor of Science (Honours) and Diploma of Education, Macquarie University
- PhD, Condensed Matter and Materials Physics, Macquarie University
- Research Program Leader, CSIRO
- Chief of Materials Science and Engineering, CSIRO
- Deputy Director and Science Director, Manufacturing Flagship, CSIRO
- Chief Scientist, CSIRO
- Australia’s Chief Scientist
This article was first published in the Electrician Job Kit in partnership with the Australian Government’s Your Career.
