Star of the South, together with Federation University Australia, has launched the Fed Cadet Program to give a Fed Uni student the opportunity to work in the offshore wind sector while completing their degree.
Star of the South, Australia’s first proposed offshore wind farm, will provide up to two days a week of paid work for a junior analyst, along with mentoring and on-the-job training for a year.
According to the parties, the aim of the Fed Cadet Program is to build a skilled local workforce for Victoria’s emerging renewable energy sector.
The Fed Cadet Program will give the student real-world experience in the renewable energy industry, while maintaining ties to their local community as they work and study in Gippsland.
The cadetship would suit a broad range of students including those studying computer science, mathematics, statistics, business, law, environment, engineering, information systems, communications, or data analytics.
In November 2021, Star of the South received state funding, around EUR 27.7 million, to progress key development activities and kick-start a local offshore wind industry.
Located off Gippsland’s south coast, Star of the South would harness Bass Strait’s strong offshore winds with up to 200 turbines in the sea.
If the project proceeds to construction, it would support Victoria to meet its emissions reduction targets by powering up to 1.2 million Victorian homes with clean energy. The project would provide jobs for energy workers with the potential to create 2,000 direct Victorian jobs, and 200 ongoing local jobs once it’s up and running.
If built to its full capacity, Star of the South would generate up to 2.2 GW of clean energy. The project is jointly owned by Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners and Australian Founders – Terry Kallis, Andy Evans and Peter Sgardelis.