News

NEW TRAINEE SURVEYORS JOIN SNOWY 2.0 TEAM

10/11/2021

Snowy 2.0 is generating exciting employment and upskilling opportunities for the local community, with six men and women from the local region recently joining Snowy Hydro’s nation-building renewable energy project as surveying trainees.

The $5.1 billion Snowy 2.0 project is delivering thousands of jobs and significant economic benefit to the local region, with around 1,300 people now working onsite.

The trainee group, employed by Snowy 2.0 principal contractor Future Generation Joint Venture, has started formal training in Surveying and Spatial Sciences at TAFE NSW.

The new recruits – Emily Smith (Adaminaby), Trent Thatcher (Tumut), Ian Kilowsky (Jindabyne), Samuel Hayes (Adelong) and Stuart Donlan and Dominic Mooney (Cooma) – are already working across a range of Snowy 2.0 sites.

Future Generation Survey Manager, David Ibbotson, has welcomed the new trainees and is happy to see people entering the surveying industry and training for the future.

“All six of our trainees will learn from our experienced survey team, and I look forward to watching our trainees grow and prove their skills working across our project sites” Mr Ibbotson said.

“I hope they will soon have the skills to guide tunnelling excavations underground and continue their education to complete formal qualifications in surveying and spatial sciences,” he said.

Snowy Hydro Relations Manager Dean Lynch said the Snowy 2.0 training and education opportunities were an important workforce legacy.

“We have always wanted the local community to benefit from this project not only through the business investment and economic boost, but through jobs and training,” Mr Lynch said. “This intake of surveying trainees gives another group of local people the chance to learn valuable skills and establish a career through Snowy 2.0.”

Mr Ibbotson said Future Generation plans to expand the survey traineeships and has encouraged other local people to apply for future positions that could lead to career pathways as survey technicians and assistants.

“I am very encouraged so far by the aptitude and tenacity displayed by the first group of trainees and look forward to watching them exceed and develop in a profession I have personally found constantly challenging and endlessly rewarding,” he said.

Future Generation Training Manager, Aaron Reid, acknowledged Mr Ibbotson’s commitment in attracting the new Snowy 2.0 recruits.

“It is extremely satisfying seeing how our employees are taking care of their own work and are happy to share their knowledge. This represents the spirit of Future Generation JV,” Mr Reid said.

“We are pleased to promote training and apprenticeship programs on Snowy 2.0 and we welcome more enthusiastic and passionate young professionals interested to join the project team. Future Generation is committed to providing skills and opportunities that can be transitioned from the Snowy 2.0 project to the local region and to build individual skills and capabilities,” he said.

Snowy 2.0 is a nation-building project that will underpin thousands of megawatts of renewables and will continue to keep the lights on for generations to come.

Future Generation is a joint venture created specifically to build Snowy 2.0 on behalf of Snowy Hydro Limited. The joint venture brings the combined engineering expertise of three companies — Italy’s Webuild (formerly Salini Impregilo), Australian-based Clough, and US-based Lane Construction.

News

SNOWY HYDRO 2022 APPRENTICES AND TRAINEES INTAKE OPENS

04/05/2021

Thinking about applying for an apprenticeship or traineeship at Snowy Hydro? Come along to a community drop-in session at the Snowy Hydro Discovery Centre in Cooma on Saturday 8 May for more information!

Year 12 students considering a traineeship, their families and prospective apprentices of all ages can ask questions to find out more about the Snowy Hydro 2022 Trainee and Apprentice program in one convenient spot.

The session, which runs from 9am to 11am, complements the school presentations conducted throughout the Snowy Mountains region and provides additional opportunities for the community to learn more about Snowy Hydro’s annual apprentice and trainee intake.

Applications for a 2022 Snowy Hydro traineeship or apprenticeship are open now. Visit https://www.snowyhydro.com.au/entry-level-programs/ and apply by Friday 28 May 2021.

Snowy Hydro Managing Director and CEO Paul Broad, said a Snowy Hydro apprenticeship or traineeship combined paid, on-the-job experience with vocational education and training.

“We’ve been running school-leaver programs for 31 years and we’re going to keep investing in locals and the future workforce because it’s a win-win for all,” Mr Broad said.

“We’re equipping the region’s next generation with job-ready skills and qualifications, and Snowy Hydro benefits by developing a pipeline of highly-trained staff, which is critical to ensure we have a skilled workforce in the future.”

Snowy Hydro traineeships and apprenticeships can lead to longer-term roles with the business, as well as further training, university, or jobs with other employers.

Information technology trainee Maria Tarasyuk completed her two-year Certificate III early, and has taken up a new year-long contract while she completes a software engineering degree at university. “I feel like I’m learning twice as much because I learn in both environments and I can apply it in real life at Snowy Hydro,” Maria said.

Apprenticeships

This program provides a four-year apprenticeship with Snowy Hydro while completing either a Certificate III in Engineering – Mechanical Trade (Fitting/Machining), or Certificate III Electrotechnology Electrician Electrical Trade through Wagga Wagga TAFE.

During the apprenticeship there is on-the-job training and mentoring by experienced tradespeople in an exciting and unique work environment.

To ensure apprentices develop a wide range of skills, they rotate through the Snowy Scheme’s operating and maintenance centres in Jindabyne, Khancoban, Cabramurra and Talbingo.

Traineeships

Traineeships are available to students who are in year 12 this year, in a range of business areas, including information technology, energy generation and asset management, communications, human resources, finance, community relations, Snowy 2.0 and procurement.

During the year-long program, trainees complete a Certificate III and IV in Business Administration or Certificate III in Information Technology through Cooma TAFE, paired with on-the-job training and mentoring by experts. The trainee intake also feeds into our cadetship program, in which Snowy Hydro sponsors cadets to study a relevant STEM degree at the University of Wollongong.

News

LOCAL TRAINEES HIT THE GROUND RUNNING

29/01/2021

Snowy Hydro is buzzing with fresh energy and new faces after welcoming the 2021 trainee intake.

As part of its commitment to providing employment opportunities, skills training and insight into STEM careers for local young people, Snowy Hydro annually offers 12-month, paid traineeships to school-leavers from the local area.

This year, 12 trainees have taken up positions in a range of business areas including information technology, energy generation and asset management, communications, human resources, finance, community relations, Snowy 2.0 and procurement. Ten are based in Cooma and two of the trainees are regionally based, with one in Khancoban and the other in Talbingo.

Snowy Hydro CEO Paul Broad said the highly-successful traineeship program was in its 30th year.

“Snowy has been giving local young people a start in their careers since 1991 – literally hundreds of trainees have gained on-the-job experience with us while combining business administration studies at TAFE.

“We’re very proud to support local people and our communities and also to offer opportunities that focus on training and development. This helps make sure our company has the people and skills that are needed now and into the future,” Mr Broad said.

Some of the new trainees are second and third generation Snowy employees. Talbingo-based trainee Aylah Rice’s grandfather was a diesel mechanic who helped build the Snowy Scheme. A 2020 trainee, Ian Grant, has just embarked on an electrical apprenticeship with Snowy Hydro based at Talbingo, while his father Martin is a Snowy Hydro Maintenance Manager at Jindabyne.

A number of the trainees are planning to go to university to study engineering. The Snowy Hydro traineeship provides participants with the opportunity to apply for a cadetship, in which the company sponsors students to study at the University of Wollongong.

“We see the traineeship program as a valuable pathway young people can take as they embark on their working lives and we encourage them to explore study opportunities in the fields of science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM),” Mr Broad said.

“There are so many talented young people living in this region and we see them as our next generation of Snowy Hydro engineers, scientists, and information technology experts.”

Applications for 2022 Snowy Hydro traineeships will open in Term 2 – keep an eye on the Snowy Hydro website and social media channels for more information.