UNSW Digital Grid Futures Institute are delighted to have secured grant funding as part of the government’s Microcredentials Pilot initiative. The grant will allow for the design of a Hydrogen Production for Electrical Engineers course at UNSW.
UNSW Digital Grid Future Institute recognised a high demand for hydrogen expertise in Australia and applied for a grant to create a course responding to this skill gap.
The course targets 30 electrical engineering students for Term 1 2024 and spans the length of one term.
Dr Matthew Priestley, Lead Technology Translator, has firsthand experience with learning skills in hydrogen production ‘on the job’ – a great example of where microcredentials like this could plug a skills gap. Talking to the Sydney Morning Herald he stated, “There’s a massive shortage of electrical engineers in Australia to decarbonise our economy, let alone in hydrogen.”
The course content will cover knowledge that electrical engineers need to work on hydrogen production design projects. Specifically, it will teach electrical engineers how to design energy-efficient equipment and systems critical to reducing hydrogen production costs. The course will also provide instruction on designing alternative energy systems for hydrogen production facilities, like using a solar or wind farm for power.
This course is the only microcredential funding awarded to UNSW under this scheme. A further funding pool of $16.5m is available for ongoing delivery and wider rollout for up to 4,000 students over the next three years.