The delivery of the REZ will bring a wide range of new jobs to the New England region. The REZ is expected to bring more than 6,000 full-time construction jobs and 2,000 ongoing operational jobs.
EnergyCo carried out a study into jobs, skills and training to understand what types of jobs the region is expected to need, what the key barriers are for the local workforce to access jobs required for the REZ, and what can be done to reduce or remove these barriers.
The study investigated:
The existing local workforce, including population demographics and trends.
Estimated job numbers and roles from renewable energy projects.
Current local training and education capacity.
Opportunities to support locals accessing jobs in the renewable energy sector.
28%
of the workforce for the New England REZ will be local jobs, based on survey responses.
Key findings
The REZ is expected to bring an upward and downward swing in jobs based on construction activities. Through the 2030s, renewable energy projects will continue to be built and operated, bringing a steady flow of long-term job opportunities to the region.
An industry survey was conducted on the proportion of the construction jobs that were expected to be filled by local people. The average response was that 28 per cent of the workforce would be local. This is partly due to the low levels of unemployment in the region.
There are several key challenges faced by employment in the renewable energy sector. This includes high demands from other infrastructure sectors, resulting in potential skills shortages in key occupations (e.g. electricians) and the geographic constraints of the New England region, potentially creating gaps in access to specialised training.
The study provides a series of opportunities to be considered to address these challenges.
What we learned
The capacity of the existing regional workforce is limited, with low rates of unemployment across each of the local government areas within the region.
An important way to expand the renewable energy workforce will be through increasing diversity, including for First Nations people, women and underrepresented and diversity groups (such as long-term unemployed), people with a disability and skilled migrants.
Building pathways for school students into the renewable energy workforce will be critical.
Offering pre-employment programs for construction can enable more local people to access renewable energy job opportunities.
There are existing training facilities in the region with the capacity and capability to support training for the renewable energy sector.
Opportunities for REZ delivery
The REZ will require a large workforce, particularly during construction. While renewable energy development will bring significant opportunity for local employment, workers will need the right training and accreditations to fill these jobs.
Increasing training capacity may help upskill local workers so they can take on new jobs in the growing renewable energy sector.
This may include:
Considering ways to improve the flexibility and usability of existing training facilities through renovations and upgrades.
Developing new courses at existing training facilities like the University of New England and TAFE.
Expanding mobile training offerings to service regional towns.
Finding opportunities to attract new trainers and using registered training organisations to respond to demand peaks.
Looking at new ways to enable businesses to employ more apprentices.
Help shape initiatives for your local area
EnergyCo is holding a community feedback period to hear your thoughts on local issues and priorities for REZ delivery.
Don’t miss the chance to submit your feedback by Friday 20 February, 2026.
Next steps
EnergyCo will consider the study findings in conjunction with community and stakeholder feedback. EnergyCo will then work with other government agencies, energy project developers and local councils to develop potential community benefit initiatives and strategies to manage impacts for the New England REZ.
EnergyCo will provide regular updates to the community on the progress of this work, including sharing the findings from the community feedback period in a report early next year.