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3.1 Literature review
This opportunity assessment adopted a mixed methodology research approach, using both quantitative and qualitative data to capture a holistic view of the energy sector workforce, the skills and training landscape, and innovation pathways.
The results of the interviews, workshops and surveys have been aggregated and synthesised to maintain the confidentiality of the interviewees unless they gave specific consent to attribute statements.
3.1.1 Work Package 1
The aim of the Work Package 1 literature review was to explore the approaches taken by different countries to quantify the workforce for the clean energy – renewable energy and energy efficiency – sector. The review focused on developed economies, particularly those with strong links to Australia – see Section 4.3. More than fifty reports were examined, with the focus on non-academic literature as the intention was to identify national practices and reporting (see Appendix 6 for a list of reports reviewed). For each relevant study, the following aspects were identified:
• The institution(s) overseeing and undertaking the work, and what type of organisation – e.g. governmental, academic, or industry association; • Whether the study was part of a regular reporting process – e.g. annual or biennial – or ad hoc; • The sectors included, categorised loosely as renewable energy, energy efficiency, transport, or the energy sector as a whole; • Whether market size/ sector value was included; and • The main methodological approaches, including details if indicators were used such as jobs/$ or jobs per MW, the inclusions and exclusions, and the approach taken to boundary issues such as how to define energy efficieincy.
Initial findings from the review were presented at the first IRG Work Package 1 workshop and are presented in greater detail in Section 4.1.
3.1.2 Work Package 2
The Work Package 2 review of academic and grey literature focused on several questions:
• What could the energy system of 2030 look like, assuming
Australia is on track towards reaching net zero by 2050? • What are the technical skills required to deliver that energy system? • What are the cross-cutting skills – social, soft and other non-technical skills – required to deliver that energy system? • What else is required to enable an energy transition?
Several online databases were used to obtain information on education programs offered in Australia and on skills mapping including:
https://www.gooduniversitiesguide.com.au
https://www.nationalskillscommission.gov.au
https://training.gov.au/
https://www.ncver.edu.au/
3.1.3 Work Package 3
Work Package 3 also conducted a short literature review of innovation pathways relevant for energy within the wider fields of socio-technical transitions and transformative innovation which helped develop the framing and approach for the work package and further data collection.
