Global Wind Workforce Outlook 2025-2030
Figure 10: Australia C&I and O&M Workforce Demand
A coordinated national workforce strategy – aligned with federal initiatives such as the National Energy Workforce Strategy and state programs like Victoria’s Clean Economy Workforce Development Strategy and the Local Jobs First Act 2003 – will be key. Industry can also leverage investment and training support through Future Made in Australia, the Australian Renewable Energy Agency, and the National Reconstruction Facility. However, there are skills shortage challenges in Australia. If unaddressed, the industry’s growing project pipeline will exacerbate these pressures. The Powering Skills Organisation, a government-established jobs and skills commission, highlighted that the country is facing a projected shortfall of about 42,000 clean-energy workers by 2030 15 . Despite workforce improvements in 2024, large gaps persist in technician roles critical for wind and transmission projects. The shortfall threatens timely delivery of major projects and may raise costs or lead to commissioning delays.
Although Australia’s state of Victoria has delayed its inaugural offshore wind auction which was set to commence in September, VicGrid, an agency of the Victorian government, has recently narrowed down preferred rout and shortlisted three consortia for the development of the transmission infrastructure that will connect the first 2 GW of offshore wind generation to the grid. The Clean Energy Council highlights that Australia’s offshore wind industry could create significant employment opportunities, especially in regions affected by the coal transition. An estimated 4,000 construction jobs, 500 long-term O&M roles, and 3,500 indirect jobs could be generated through manufacturing 14 . Building the required domestic supply chain will demand rapid workforce development. Industry feedback indicates that 3-10 years are needed to upscale a workforce. By 2030, Australia will require around 85,000 additional workers to build and operate renewable energy infrastructure, underscoring the urgency for action.
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Onshore Workforce Demand (in thousands)
C&I
O&M 11
12
10
10
10
9
9
9
8
7
8
6
6
8
7
5
6
6
5
5
5
6
5
5
5
6
5
4
4
4
4
4
5
3
5
5
4
4
3
2
3
3
2
2
2
2
1
1
0
2031 2032 2033 2034 2035 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030
Oshore Workforce Demand (in thousands)
C&I
O&M
30
C
26
25
O
20
22
15
13
10
7
11
3 6 2
5
3 2
4
2
0
14 Clean Energy Council. (2025, March). Winds of opportunity: Powering Australia’s clean energy future with offshore wind (Short report). 15 Powering Skills Organisation. (2025). Workforce plan 2025: High load, short supply, bridging the gap to 2030.
2031 2032 2033 2034 2035 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030
Source: GWEC
31
Chapter 6: Country Commentaries – Australia
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