UNSW Digital Grid Futures Institute

Recognising that women’s skills and expertise are vital to driving workforce productivity and innovation during the energy transition, the Champions of Change Coalition’s Energy sector members have partnered with EY to deliver a new report, Paving the Way: Creating Strong Talent Pathways for Women in Energy. This resource highlights actionable strategies to address the gender imbalance in the energy industry and ensure a more diverse, innovative, and equitable energy future. One standout recommendation is to partner with The Orbispace Initiative (TOI) to invest in industry-wide collaborations with primary and secondary schools. By developing energy industry-specific STEM modules and content, this initiative aims to inspire and prepare the next generation of talent (especially young women) for careers in energy. We are long-term supporters of TOI and are passionate about fostering these connections and creating opportunities to engage diverse talent in STEM. Investing in initiatives like this is vital for the industry's long-term success and sustainability. Discover more about how we can drive meaningful change in the full report 👉 https://lnkd.in/d95M3nk2 #STEM #EnergyIndustry #DiversityInEnergy #UNSWDGFI Anna Collyer Lynn Morrison 何嶺 GAICD Emma Hawthorne Daniel Westerman Sharon Swift Anna-Grace Millward Agnes Kang (강슬기)

Have you heard about the Technology Translation Squad? A fantastic new initiative empowering Australian industry with expert electrical engineering support to revolutionise university-industry collaborations. The Technology Translation Squad (TTS) is designed to bridge the gap between industry and university, providing SMEs, startups and established businesses with quick access to expertise that drives innovation and keeps Australia's clean technology sector competitive. Learn more about the TTS offering ➡️ https://lnkd.in/gQGtRrKT 👏 Big thanks to everyone involved in driving this initiative forward, and we’re proud to have supported its establishment. Together, we're shaping a future where research meets action. #TechnologyTranslation #Innovation #Entrepreneurship #UNSWDGFI Trailblazer for Recycling and Clean Energy (TRaCE) EnergyLab UNSW Founders Matthew Priestley Peter McNair

🌟 Catch Up on "Lighting the Way" – On-Demand Videos now available! 🌟 Last month, the UNSW Digital Grid Futures Institute hosted Lighting the Way: Attracting and Empowering the Clean Energy Workforce, bringing together brilliant minds to tackle one of the biggest challenges in our clean energy transition – building a diverse, skilled workforce. A huge thank you to all our speakers on the day: Danny Kennedy Rik Irons-Mclean Jacqueline Crawshaw Hua Chai Angela Le Hamish Teasdale Couldn’t make it to the event? We’ve got you covered with on-demand videos ready to watch! These videos share the key talks from the day, including conversations around: 💡 The importance of early engagement and global talent pools in building a future-ready workforce. 💡 Personalised pathways to upskill professionals and inspire students through the PACE project. 💡 How interdisciplinary collaboration is key to green career success. 💡 Practical solutions for bridging education and workforce gaps. 💡 The transformative role of AI and behavioural science in accelerating clean energy adoption. Packed with insights from industry leaders, researchers, and students shaping the energy landscape, this is a series you don’t want to miss! 📽️ Watch the videos here ➡️ https://lnkd.in/gaks8MfR #CleanEnergy #WorkforceDevelopment #Innovation #Sustainability #UNSWDGFI UNSW Engineering UNSW Business School Student Energy UNSW Student Energy Young Energy Professionals - Sydney (YEP Sydney)

We had a wonderful afternoon yesterday catching up with our members and UNSW colleagues! It was the perfect way to cap off a year of great collaborations and member successes as we ease into the festive season 🍾 Thank you to all of those who were able to join us and share your projects and updates from 2024, as well as get some networking time in with our members from across all UNSW faculties. Which feels like a great time to remind our UNSW networks that applications are OPEN for our 2025 Seed Funding round 💸 Applications close on December 20, so be sure to get your projects in. Find out more (including a link to apply) here ➡️ https://lnkd.in/gwWYAhfz We look forward to supporting you into the future! #UNSW #EnergyTransition #SeedFunding UNSW Arts, Design & Architecture UNSW Business School UNSW Engineering UNSW Medicine & Health UNSW Implementation to Impact (i2i) NSW Decarbonisation Innovation Hub Trailblazer for Recycling and Clean Energy (TRaCE)

The shift to renewable energy is crucial, yet it also brings new challenges. A recent article in The Conversation Australia + NZ explores a critical issue: the cybersecurity risks facing offshore wind farms. As we integrate more sustainable sources, our infrastructure is becoming a target for potential cyberattacks that could disrupt power systems and economies. It’s clear that cybersecurity must be a top priority as we move forward with the energy transition, which is why we’ve made it a key focus for our 2025 Seed Funding program! Read the article here 👉 https://lnkd.in/erztKJQ5 Find out more about our 2025 Seed Funding, open to all UNSW Students and Staff, here 👉 https://lnkd.in/gwWYAhfz #Cybersecurity #EnergyTransition #RenewableEnergy #UNSWDGFI UNSW Institute for Cyber Security

EVENT WRAP-UP: Many thanks to all of our speakers and panellists at our event 'Attracting & empowering the future clean energy workforce' yesterday. We explored and discussed: 📌 How the clean energy sector can access a bigger talent pool by considering cross-sector and cross-functional mobility strategies 🎓 How universities need to bust discipline silos and support career decision making through linking course learning outcomes/skills to career pathways 📣 Student Energy UNSW's important role in building energy 'literacy' across a vibrant like-minded community of students committed to a purpose and impact driven career 🔌 Engineers need to be literate in a broad field of disciplines for an effective transition and many technical challenges are heavily intertwined with other disciplines like regulation and economics 💰 The growing nexus of financial literacy and the energy transition, and how the finance sector is crucial to accelerating the shift to renewables 🟢 2022-23 saw a 22% increase in green jobs but with only a 12% increase of workers with green skills, there is a growing shortfall that urgently needs to be tackled 🤖 How AI can help to digitise tacit knowledge, especially when we consider the ageing workforce that will be valuable to the energy transition Hua Chai Angela Le Hamish Teasdale Student Energy UNSW John Fletcher Sharon Swift Danny Kennedy Jacqueline Crawshaw Rik Irons-Mclean #energyworkforce #skillsgap #talentpipeline #cleanenergycareers #workforcechallenge #futureofwork

As Australia sees increased uptake of electric vehicles (EVs), lithium-ion battery safety has become more critical than ever. A recent report by the Parliament of NSW explores the risks and management strategies for EV batteries. This valuable resource dives deep into thermal runaway, second-life batteries, and the dangers of using non-genuine parts ⚠️ The report also highlights the growing risks, particularly fire incidents linked to improper handling, disposal, and charging. These are all topics that are also covered in our FREE battery safety short course! This online, self-paced course equips you with the knowledge to handle lithium-ion batteries safely and effectively. Developed by battery safety experts, including Dr Matthew Priestley, it’s a great course to equip yourself with essential safety practices surrounding the batteries proliferating our environments! 🔋 Learn more about the course and register here 👉 https://lnkd.in/gsMsyNZS 📄Check out the report from here for more learnings and insights 👉 https://lnkd.in/gVuNaJcT  #BatterySafety #SustainableEnergy #EVSafety

Delighted to be working with Marlize Nel - we'll be providing an industry perspective and ensuring our extensive networks have input on this important topic. Give Marlize a follow on her page quest4decarb and on Instagram @quest4decarb Thanks also to Yenni Tim from UNSW Business School for your input. John Fletcher Matthew Priestley

Missed our newsletter earlier this week? You can still catch up on all our latest news and updates … 📝 Our Director’s Update from John Fletcher, including insights from his recent trip to China and the TORCH Innovation Expo 💵 Important information on our 2025 Seed Funding Round, including how to apply! ☀️ The wrap up and recordings of our ‘Vehicle Integrated Photovoltaics’ event we hosted, including talks from Nicholas Ekins-Daukes, Bjorn Sturmberg, Bonna Newman, Kenji Araki, Richard Hopkins, and more! 🚗 Our catch-up webinar recording for ‘Driving Change: Navigating the Future of EV Charging Etiquette’, presented by Arya Shinde and A/Prof Natalie Taylor. 📅 Registration for our upcoming event with Danny Kennedy, Rik Irons-Mclean, Jacqueline Crawshaw, Hua Chai, and the team at Student Energy UNSW Angela Le Hamish Teasdale Catch up here 👉 https://lnkd.in/gXyMzEaV Don’t forget to sign yourself up so you get all future updates directly to your inbox 👉 https://lnkd.in/gFQ3FpMH  #CleanEnergy #EnergyEvents #UNSWDigitalGridFuturesInstitute #UNSW

🚨One week to go until Lighting the Way: Attracting & empowering the future clean energy workforce! 🚨 The energy transition is accelerating, and securing the right talent is critical. Insights from the Student Energy Transition Skills Project reveal that 75% of respondents are either interested in or want to work in roles supporting the energy transition. However, 58% cite a lack of awareness about existing job opportunities, and 68% believe they need a STEM background. This presents a tremendous opportunity for organisations committed to purpose-driven work. With 64.8% of respondents stating that skills training would equip them for these roles, there is a growing, engaged pipeline of future talent ready to contribute to the clean energy revolution. Join us to explore: ⚒️ Insights from our research on the skills and aspirations of the next generation of energy leaders ⚒️ Strategies to attract and retain top talent ⚒️ How to leverage diverse skills and experiences to drive innovation With speakers like Danny Kennedy, Jacqueline Crawshaw, and Rik Irons-Mclean on the agenda, it’s an event you don’t want to miss out on! It’s also a great opportunity to connect and network with other industry leaders 🤝 📅 12 November 2024  📍 Tyree Room, John Niland Scientia Building, UNSW Kensington  🎟️ Tickets are FREE, but registration is essential as space is strictly limited. Register NOW before seats run out 👉 https://lnkd.in/gUxyBhDq Will we be seeing you there? #CleanEnergy #EnergyTransition #WorkforceChallenge #FutureOfWork #UNSWDGFI