A new partnership with the Beacon Foundation will provide foundational career skills training for regional high school students, including one group who toured the Trevallyn Power Station today and got to speak with career mentors.

This $60,000 partnership over three years will fund workshops and events that give regional students an understanding of what it means to work in renewable energy, as well as practical job seeking and interview skills.

Hydro Tasmania Education Advisor Gina Harvey said this is a continuation of the successful work Hydro Tasmania had previously undertaken with the Beacon Foundation.

“We’re keen to promote STEM career pathways into Tasmania’s renewable energy sector because this sector has a bright future and we’re also making a broader contribution to our state’s regional areas by just getting high school students to think about a rewarding career locally,” Ms Harvey said.

“We were researching how Hydro Tasmania could help the local education sector with a targeted sponsorship, and knew it would be great to expand our previous partnership with the Beacon Foundation further into the regional areas that Hydro Tasmania has a presence in.”

“Tasmania’s north-west, north, Midlands and the Bass Strait islands are areas where students can experience a high level of disadvantage in entering the job market, so this partnership is targeting those areas with workshops and events like today’s tour, and they’ll get to meet Hydro Tasmania people who come from the same communities they do.”

Beacon Foundation Chief Operating Officer Kath McCann said they were proud to be working with Hydro Tasmania again.

“The Beacon Foundation has over 30 years’ experience, and long-established school and industry networks, focused on supporting young people to transition from education into meaningful employment, because every young person has the right to a job and the benefits that brings,” Ms McCann said.

“This partnership with the iconic Hydro Tasmania provides Beacon with an outstanding opportunity to deliver career content and experiences to young people from regional parts of Tasmania that we know they will benefit from.”

“You cannot be what you cannot see, so having Hydro Tasmania’s people on hand in-person to speak to and inspire these young people is an invaluable opportunity.”

Ends.

Released for Hydro Tasmania by Trent Swindells / 0409 722 359 / media@hydro.com.au.