Western Australia creates Clean Energy Technician apprenticeship under revised trade qualification

The Minister for Skills and TAFE, Hon. Amber-Jade Sanderson MLA, has created a Clean Energy Technician apprenticeship in Western Australia by varying and establishing the MEM50119 Diploma of Engineering—Advanced Trade as a prescribed vocational education and training qualification. The instrument, made under the Vocational Education and Training Act 1996 and dated 16 September 2026, was published in the Western Australian Government Gazette No. 122 of 25 September 2026 as notice TA401.

The notice amends the classification of prescribed vocational education and training qualifications first published in Government Gazette 98/2022 of 5 July 2022. It performs two distinct acts: it varies the existing Class B training contract requirements attached to MEM50119, and it establishes a new prescribed qualification entry for the same diploma, opening the clean energy pathway. The classification fixes the apprenticeship name, the title on the training contract, the nominal term and the conditions that govern training contracts in the state.

The varied qualification

Under the variation, the apprenticeship name attached to MEM50119 Diploma of Engineering—Advanced Trade changes from Engineering (Advanced Trade) to Higher Manufacturing Tradesperson. The Class B training contract requirements for the varied entry are:

• Nominal term: 24 months.
• Part time: permitted, defined as a minimum of 20 hours per week.
• School based: not available.
• Title on contract: Apprentice (previous) and Trainee (new).

The new Clean Energy Technician pathway

The second limb of the notice establishes a new prescribed qualification entry for MEM50119 Diploma of Engineering—Advanced Trade under the apprenticeship name Clean Energy Technician. Its Class B training contract requirements are:

• Apprenticeship conditions: for the Clean Energy Technician apprenticeship pathway under this qualification, entry into a 24-month training contract requires the apprentice to hold an Unrestricted Electrical Licence.
• Nominal term: 24 months.
• Title on contract: Apprentice.
• Part time: permitted, defined as a minimum of 20 hours per week.
• School based: not available.
• Other requirements: to achieve the Clean Energy Technician trade qualification, an apprentice must complete the relevant clean energy units of competency aligned with the apprentice’s work context and occupational stream; the selection of units is to be confirmed with the RTO.

Who is affected

• Apprentices entering the pathway must hold an Unrestricted Electrical Licence before entering a 24-month training contract.
• Registered training organisations (RTOs) confirm the selection of clean energy units of competency with each apprentice.
• Employers in the energy transition workforce gain a formal trade pathway for clean energy work.

The notice gives Western Australia’s energy transition workforce a formal apprenticeship route into clean energy work, tying the new trade to an existing electrical licence and to units of competency selected with the training provider. Because the change operates through the state’s prescribed qualification framework, apprentices, registered training organisations and employers must align training contracts and training plans with the new Class B requirements.

Source: Western Australian Government Gazette, No. 122, 25 September 2026, Training, p. 2075 (official reference: TA401).