A report released on Wednesday by the Centre for New Industry at think tank Per Capita found the nation will require almost 100,000 additional skilled electrical workers by 2050.

But there are not enough rooms or trainers to train the electrical workforce of the future, with education centres at capacity and unprecedented labour shortages.

The forecast shortfall threatens basic energy security and jeopardises Australia’s climate commitments, according to the Charged Up report commissioned by the Electrical Trades Union (ETU).

“We’re not doing a terrible job, we have 170,000 electricians currently, we have a skilled workforce,” ETU national secretary Michael Wright said.

But Australia is not prepared for electrification and the net-zero build along with demand for more housing and defence programs, he said.

“This is not business as usual. This is not just a step change, this is a generational shift,” Wright said.

The Federal Government’s $22.7 billion Future Made in Australia plan also depends on more electricians, but apprentices are already waiting 18 months to get into a classroom.

Meanwhile, there is “burn and churn” in the renewable energy sector with big energy firms failing to invest in apprentices, he said.

“We see particularly solar taking more than it gives in terms of training ... mass employment of backpackers who are there for a good time not a long time.”

Expanding the production of renewable energy beyond domestic requirements will require an additional 42,500 electricians this decade.

But almost half of Australia’s electrical apprentices already fail to finish their training because of low wages, lack of mentoring, and bullying at toxic workplaces, the report found.

“Ordering workers is not the same as ordering solar panels ... it requires that human dimension,” Wright said.

Young women in particular need safer workplaces, including protective equipment that fits and separate toilets with sanitary bins.

It is a “disgrace” that women only make up two per cent of qualified trade workers, he said.

Nor can the country rely on immigration alone, he said, as every advanced economy will be chasing skilled workers for installing clean energy, battery supply chains and other advanced technologies.

Almost half of Australia’s electrical apprentices fail to finish their training because of low wages, lack of mentoring, and bullying at toxic workplaces, a new report has found.

The Charged Up report comes hot on the heels of 2024 National Skills Week, held from August 19-25, a week dedicated to raising the profile and status of skills and vocational learning, dispelling outdated myths and showcasing the attractive career opportunities for all Australians. 

Fifty-one per cent of all current jobs in the country require a VET qualification, according to a report by the Parliament of Australia. 

The report also found that despite the critical importance of VET to Australia’s economic security, many people hold negative perceptions of VET and the careers it leads to. It is often perceived as less intellectually demanding, inferior to university education, and more physically demanding. 

And while there has been long-time high demand for trades people, misconceptions about apprenticeships, even within schools by many careers advisors and teachers, remain.

Melinda Jeffery, a qualified Fitter and Machinist and now a Senior Trades Educator at Swinburne TAFE, spoke to EducationHQ recently, and said she faced criticism about “wasting her talent” by forgoing traditional university for a trade; labelled as “not the best use of her academic skills”. 

She said the misconceptions around a trade apprenticeship being only for those with lower academic scores is part of the reason girls in particular do not follow this route.  

Her advice to school leavers considering a trade is to seek out as much information as possible.

And most importantly, to find the right employer. One who fosters growth, without judgement. 

Per Capita head Emma Dawson said workforce readiness was a critical but neglected part of the energy transition.

“Australia can become a renewable energy superpower, but we need the workforce to deliver it,” she said.

The report recommended an urgent response, including a requirement that projects getting taxpayer funding put on apprentices and benefit local communities.

A new role of Clean Energy Jobs Commissioner could make sure the clean energy transition creates secure, well-paid jobs by working with industry, unions and governments.

Renewable energy professionals were urged to get into classrooms to pass on crucial skills, along with more investment in TAFEs and industry-led programs.

Otherwise the regions, people entering the workforce and existing workers could miss out as other nations prosper.

(with AAP)