The Victorian Government has announced plans to create 2,000 electrical trade apprenticeships over the next four years through a new publicly owned program aimed at building the workforce needed for the state’s energy transition.
The proposed SEC Apprenticeship Academy will become Victoria’s first publicly owned apprenticeship academy, with the State Electricity Commission (SEC) set to employ all participating apprentices. The Allan Government said the initiative is intended to address skills shortages and help prepare workers for growing demand in the energy sector.
For many Filipino-Australian families, trades and technical careers have increasingly become an alternative pathway alongside university study, with apprenticeships offering paid work and formal training at the same time.
According to the government, Victoria will need a 50 per cent increase in electricians working in the energy sector by 2040. The state’s Victorian Energy Jobs Plan forecasts energy jobs will grow by 50 per cent to around 68,000 positions by that year.
Premier Jacinta Allan said the initiative would help train workers needed for Victoria’s energy future.
“2,000 young workers in the SEC Apprenticeship Academy – earning while they’re learning, building cheaper, homegrown power,” Allan said.
The government said apprenticeships have become increasingly difficult for many young people to complete, with apprentices often needing to independently find work placements and move between jobs and worksites during their training.
Under the proposed academy model, apprentices would earn while they learn and work on a wide range of energy projects through an industry-led partnership.
Instead of navigating different workplaces on their own, apprentices would study and work alongside one another while gaining practical industry experience.
The government said participants would also have access to world-class training facilities — one in Melbourne and one in regional Victoria.
Allan also linked the announcement to the history of the SEC, which was privatised in the 1990s.
“Thirty years ago, a Liberal Government switched the lights off on my dad’s career. Now we’re training thousands of young people to switch them back on,” she said.
Minister for the State Electricity Commission Lily D’Ambrosio said the initiative would help support a future workforce for the sector.
“We can’t let the apprenticeship pipeline become a pipedream,” D’Ambrosio said.
“The Liberals cut the SEC – we brought it back. Now it’s supporting a new generation of young people to work on the energy transition, and helping Victorians reduce their power bills and keep the lights on.”
Minister for Skills and TAFE Colin Brooks said the initiative would complement existing skills and training programs.
“Not only do we have Free TAFE – we’ll now have more young apprentices working on SEC jobs and training in the SEC Apprenticeship Academy, so they can help secure our future,” Brooks said.
The first full intake for the SEC Apprenticeship Academy is expected to begin in January 2027.
The government estimates around 37 per cent of future energy jobs will be located in regional Victoria, highlighting the expected role regional communities will play in the state’s energy transition.
The initiative may also be of interest to young Filipino-Australians, new migrants and families looking at vocational education pathways that combine training with paid employment.
