AusNet’s announcement of a 10-year, $280,000 scholarship agreement with Federation University Australia aims to support the next generation of the renewable energy workforce.
AusNet Chief Executive Officer David Smales said the scholarships, which include two specifically for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, and one for a female STEM student, will provide financial support to those who want to play their part in Australia’s clean energy transition.
“We’re committed to inclusion and diversity at AusNet, and these scholarships are a way for us to demonstrate that,” said Mr Smales.
Supporting renewable energy workforce pathways
Building early career pathways into the energy sector for women and First Nations people is a key focus of the initiative.
“Women represent 32 percent of our workforce and through these scholarships, we hope to be able to contribute to the pipeline of skilled workers supporting the future renewable energy workforce, as well as make real progress on improving all forms of equality and inclusion,” Mr Smales said.
With Federation University providing tertiary education in some of the regional Victorian locations where AusNet operates, the institution’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Global and Engagement, Ms. Carolyn Chong, thanked AusNet for its commitment to supporting higher education in regional Victoria.
“Many students studying at Federation University are the first in their families to go to university and a scholarship can often mean the difference between the student pursuing higher education or missing out on the opportunity,” she said. “The scholarships can potentially be life-changing for students, creating opportunities that may have otherwise been unavailable.”
The agreement will see AusNet fund four scholarships per year from 2024.
Eligible students can apply for the following scholarships:
• AusNet Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Student Ballarat Scholarship – available for a higher education domestic Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander undergraduate (including honors) or a postgraduate student studying at the Mt Helen (Ballarat) campus.
• AusNet Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Student Gippsland Scholarship – available for a higher education domestic Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander undergraduate (including honors) or a postgraduate student studying at the Gippsland campus.
• AusNet Financial Hardship Scholarship – available for a student from a disadvantaged or low socioeconomic background studying business, engineering, or environmental courses at the Gippsland or Mt Helen campus.
• AusNet Women in STEM Scholarship – available for a female student at either the Gippsland or Mt Helen campus undertaking studies in environmental science, community energy, or engineering.
