Region's bright future in clean energy draws talent

With high environmental literacy compared to previous generations, Gen Z are excited by careers in clean energy technologies that pay the bills while also helping the planet.

The opportunity is clear. Less clear are the pathways bridging the gap between school, an apprenticeship or degree, and the work force. It takes boldness and resilience to forge a path into the unknown, and that’s just what Anne, Anders and Abby did when they moved to the Illawarra to be part of the region’s clean energy future.

I met these inspiring young people at the UOW Innovation Campus to chat about their experiences.

Meet Anne and Anders

Anne and Anders are an engaging young couple from Aalborg, Denmark. At the same stage in their master’s degree, they are enjoying a semester abroad together while they engage in project-based learning with an innovative local company.

Anders is studying a master’s degree in operations and innovations management at Aalborg University. In the third semester of his degree, he seized an opportunity to get out into the real world and complete an internship. Excited by the novelty of Australia’s mining industry, he considered emerging opportunities in this sector and discovered Green Gravity. This forward-thinking company generates electricity by capturing gravitational energy from weights that are lowered into repurposed mine shafts.

Once contact was established, it didn’t take long for him and Anne to pack their bags and move to Wollongong.

“Green Gravity seemed like a really cool innovative company working in this green transition space, which gets a lot of emphasis in Denmark including in our education system," Anders said. "I figured that it was the perfect match!”

Anne is studying sustainable energy planning and management. Having worked extensively across solar, wind and biogas industries in Denmark, she too was chasing something different. Coming from a place where renewables are the norm, she is excited to be part of Australia’s transition away from fossil fuels.

“I find it interesting to see how Denmark is already dealing with the next stage of the energy transition, integrating a high share of renewables, while here in Australia there is still a major transition from coal and gas towards renewables,” Anne said.

While Anders’ work placement is focused on technological innovations at Green Gravity, Anne is exploring economic, regulatory and legislative challenges for long-term energy storage. Together, they are shaping the future of clean energy industries in the region and beyond. This is something they both feel very passionately about.

“Electrification is very important," Anders said. "Traditional energy sources are being ruled out, and legislation is changing to make them less attractive. Clean energy is very much the future, and the transition will affect all industries. Taking something as disruptive as the mining industry and turning that into something beneficial, I think that's really cool.”

Grateful for their experience in this beautiful part of the world, Anne and Anders are keen to take what they’ve learned back to Denmark, but we will see them again one day.

“My favourite part about the Illawarra is the nature and its diversity," Anne said. "We love the rainforests, Minnamurra, Fitzroy Falls and Kangaroo Valley. This is definitely somewhere we'll come back to in the future, but right now we need to use what we've learned and take it with us.”

Abby

Having grown up in Townsville, the coastal lifestyle is what first drew Abby to the Illawarra. A welcoming and connected community who live near the beach; it’s just the sea change she needed when she left Sydney to live, work and study in Wollongong.

Currently in her third year, Abby is studying renewable engineering at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) so she can step into emerging clean energy industries and help build a greener future. She hasn’t quite decided on her path, but she is excited by the possibilities.

“I definitely feel like I'm still figuring out where I want to be, which is exciting," Abby says. "There's so much happening!

"Solar is a really big industry. At university, we're looking into gas and wastewater treatment using methane as energy. I'm being pulled in many different directions, but I'm definitely interested in seeing how new technologies like Green Gravity's energy storage develop over time.”

Eager to make connections and navigate an evolving workforce, Abby is using what she learns in her degree to work with Green Gravity and Ingeteam, a Spanish energy conversion and automation company. She claims these experiences have been illuminating,

“They’re helping me to connect the dots between my degree and practical work.”

Abby is here to stay, envisioning a bright future in the Illawarra Renewable Energy Zone. Asked about the future, she beams with optimism.

“Seeing the amazing projects happening here, I think there is so much growth and possibility in the clean energy industry and I'm keen be a part of it. Even if a door is closed in one space, there are many opportunities. People are willing to let you in and get you trained up.”

Where opportunities exist, young professionals follow. Let’s hope that these stories signal a trajectory of growth that will revitalise our region and its workforce, bringing fresh ideas to emerging industries that will set the bar for clean energy innovation throughout Australia.