Canberra Institute of Technology and Brighte are pleased to announce the recipients of its Brighte Pathways: Women in Sustainable Energy Scholarship, aimed at supporting the growth of the local sector in the ACT, for women who have demonstrated a commitment to the industry.
As an extension of its partnership with the ACT Government, Brighte supports these scholarships with CIT to demonstrate its deep commitment to helping the local energy sector to grow and provide young women a pathway to success in what can be a heavily male dominated industry.
The three scholarships being presented today are valued at $2,250 each and were available to women studying full or part-time, enrolling or intending to enrol in an any of the following courses:
- Certificate III in Automotive Electric Vehicle Technology
- Certificate III in Electro-technology Electrician · Battery Storage Systems · Grid Connected Photovoltaic Power Systems
- Certificate III in Air Conditioning and Refrigeration
- Certificate III in Electronics and Communications
- Training in Insulation Installation
Christine Robertson, Interim Chief Executive Officer of CIT said that this program underpins the Institute’s commitment to fostering gender diversity and sustainability in the renewable energy sector.
‘Through this partnership, we are empowering women to pursue careers in renewable energy and contributing to the growth and innovation of the industry. We are also addressing the skills shortages prevalent in the industry.
‘These scholarships offer female students the opportunity to pursue qualifications in various renewable energy disciplines, including Automotive Electric Vehicle Technology, Electrotechnology Electrician, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration, Electronics and Communications, and Insulation Installation.’
‘Currently, women represent less than two percent of the workforce in trades across the country. Barriers to becoming a trade professional include lack of exposure and experience to trade vocations and previous stereotypes of gender associated work.
Ms Robertson said that diversity drives innovation and progress.
‘Through our partnership with Brighte, we are proud to support the development of female talent in sustainable energy and create opportunities for women to thrive in this dynamic and rapidly growing industry.
‘Up to eight scholarships, valued at up to $2,250 each, are available to female students studying full or part-time at CIT.
‘The scholarship funds can be used to cover student fees and purchase recommended equipment for their studies. Additionally, Brighte will cover the Solar Accreditation Australia costs for eligible female CIT students awarded financial scholarships,’ Ms Robertson said.
Brighte Founder and CEO Katherine McConnell knows from experience how important it is to create pathways for pioneering women while also acknowledging that we are facing an industry shortage of tradespeople needed to help Australia hit our renewable energy targets.
‘The Electrical Trade Union recently noted in their submission to the Senate Inquiry into Residential Electrification, that we need 32,000 more electricians by 2030 as well as 6,000 more air conditioning and refrigeration mechanics to meet our targets.
'Through our partnership with CIT, we are proud to support the development of our apprentices and create opportunities for these women to thrive in this dynamic and rapidly growing industry.
‘It is so important for us to do our part to ensure that the training pathways are there for young women to enter the industry and help us achieve the growth needed to ensure Australia’s sustainable future.’
Brighte is the exclusive administrator for the ACT Government’s $280M Sustainable Household Scheme (SHS) as well as the accompanying Solar for Apartments scheme. Over the past two years, the SHS has been a hugely successful scheme in the ACT in driving energy transition and electrification. To date, more than 18,500 installations have been completed with the scheme providing $205 million in financial support and generating more than 300 GWh of energy.
Since launching back in 2015, Brighte has helped over 210,000 households access upgrades partnering with over 2500 retailers nationwide to process over $2.2 billion finance applications.
Applications for the scholarship for study commencing in Semester 1, 2024 were accepted until April 12, 2024, with a further 5 scholarships available until all funding is allocated.
For further comment please contact Nigel Freitas at Brighte 0438 812 043.