The Victorian Government will offer plumbers and fourth-year plumbing apprentices with a pathway toward gaining emerging and essential skills in solar technology.
The State Government via Solar Victoria has engaged the Plumbing Industry Climate Action Centre (PICAC) to develop and run training and upskilling for plumbers.
The targeted training will support Victorian plumbing industry workers to gain specialised new skills in both the design and installation of heat pumps and solar hot water systems.
Victoria’s Minister for Solar Homes, Lily D’Ambrosio, said demand for new skills in alternative energy has and will continue to grow ahead of the nation wide net-zero transition.
“Victoria’s solar and renewable energy sector is booming and demand for a skilled workforce will grow significantly over the next decade, as we target a 50 per cent reduction in emissions by 2030,” Ms D’Ambrosio said.
“This is an excellent opportunity for Victoria’s plumbing workforce to upskill for the transition to solar and heat pump hot water for free and I encourage all who are eligible to enrol when the training opens.”
Following an evaluation of the pilot, plumbers and fourth-year apprentices will be able to access free training from the end of this year through to late 2023.
The training is part of a suite of new initiatives in the State Government’s $11 million training and workforce development package, which is aimed at upskilling workers to take advantage of the state’s transition to net zero.
Training will be available in a blended format of face-to-face and online learning across metropolitan Melbourne and regional Victoria.
More information is available at: solar.vic.gov.au/upskilling-plumbers
