Media releases

Federation University Australia welcomes today’s announcement from the Premier of Victoria, The Hon Daniel Andrews MP, to support the expansion of the Asia Pacific Renewable Energy Training Centre (APRETC) located at Federation’s Mount Helen Campus.

As part of a newly announced $50 million TAFE Clean Energy Fund, Premier Andrews pledged $6 million to support the establishment of APRETC stage 2 in response to the increasing demand for skilled workers in the renewable energy sector.

Stage 1 of APRETC was established in November 2021, when a 23-metre wind turbine training tower – the first facility of its kind in Australia – was erected at Federation’s Mount Helen Campus with support from industry partners Vestas, ACCIONA, Global Power Group, Tilt Renewables, S.J. Weir Ballarat and Keppel Prince.

Today’s pledge of support from the state Labor Government will support the establishment of stage 2 of APRETC, including development of a state-of-the-art education centre that will focus on training, research-led maintenance and innovative diagnostics to support the wind energy industry.

Upon completion of stage 2, it is anticipated that APRETC will support the training and development of 6500 students over a ten-year period to help fulfill the state’s burgeoning demand for renewable energy workers.

Quotes attributable to Federation University Vice-Chancellor and President, Professor Duncan Bentley

“We welcome the announcement from the Premier today as it recognises the growing demand for renewable energy workers and the role that the education sector has in transitioning the state to a clean energy future. The demand for renewable energy technicians is set to rise dramatically and the expansion of our APRETC facility – the first of its kind in Australia – will allow Federation to train local technicians to meet the skill demands of our state’s energy providers."

“The expansion of APRETC is the latest example of Federation’s co-operative education model, where we collaborate with local employers and industry to develop a pipeline of highly skilled graduates to support the needs of emerging sectors.”

Quotes attributable to Federation University Pro Vice-Chancellor (Vocational Education and Training) and CEO TAFE, Liam Sloan

“The wind turbine training tower at APRETC was the first facility of its kind in Australia and today’s pledge from the Premier recognises the pivotal role this centre will play in the state’s transition to a zero-carbon future.”

“The expansion of APRETC provides Ballarat with a huge opportunity as it will make the region a key hub for delivering skilled graduates to meet the burgeoning demand for renewable energy worker across the state. This expansion is yet another step in our journey to make Federation the number one TAFE in Victoria.”