We're thrilled to announce the selection of 25 outstanding undergraduate students from across Australia (40% female) to attend the 2024 EESA Electrical Energy Conference (EECON) in Sydney this November as part of the prestigious API TJ Effeney Award!
The Award includes registration for the EECON conference, flights and accommodation, and extra activities with the API team.
We’re excited to again be bringing together a national community of students who are passionate about power engineering and helping them to engage with top industry conferences and network with key industry players, all part of our mission to 'develop the power sector workforce for our future'.
Students at EECON in previous years
What’s Next for the Awardees?
Our selected students are gearing up for a dynamic experience at the EECON 2024 conference!
Here’s a sneak peek into what’s ahead for them:
Pre-Conference Preparation: We understand that attending big industry conferences can be a bit overwhelming. That's why we provide mentorship and support sessions to help our students get ready.
Sydney Alumni Event: In November, the awardees will join the broader API community and alumni at our Sydney Alumni Event. It’s a great opportunity for them to meet face-to-face and sharpen their communication skills, ensuring they’re ready to mingle and make the most of their time at the conference.
During the Conference: The two-day EECON event will be packed with opportunities. Our students will engage with industry leaders, dive into sessions about the future of energy, and broaden their professional networks. They'll also hang out at the API EESA Conversation Lounge to chat more informally with experts and peers.
Inspire others by sharing their Journey: We’ve asked the students to make a short video about their experiences and insights throughout the conference. This reflection is crucial for cementing what they learn and serves as a fantastic resource for inspiring their fellow students and even younger audiences. Our marketing team is excited to use these stories to spark interest in power sector careers among high school and primary school students.
Stay tuned to the API’s social media channels for live updates during the conference and join us in supporting these promising young professionals as they take a big step forward in their careers in the power sector!
Connect with the undergrad students: EECON 2024 and API Alumni event
We invite you to connect with the students and the API team at EECON 2024 - come see us at our Booth (next to the API EESA Conversation Lounge)!
You can also connect with the students at the API’s Alumni networking event on DATE, the evening before EECON. Register here for the Alumni event.
API Alumni Event: Brisbane 2024
Increasing the Impact in 2024 – 25 students
With over 60 applications this year, the selection process was highly competitive. We initially budgeted to support 20 students but have since committed additional API funds to support an additional 5 ‘local’ students in Sydney (no accommodation and flights). The level of enthusiasm for the event demonstrates the passion of future power engineering professionals, and we are proud to help facilitate this learning experience.
25 Awardees: 6 States and 40% female
Our 2024 cohort has representation from 6 Australian states and a variety of different universities and degree programs, reflecting the diversity and potential of the power sector’s future workforce.
Our 25 students in 2024 come from:
Tasmania: 2 students, with 50% female participation
Victoria: 4 students, with 25% female participation
South Australia: 3 students, with 67% female participation
New South Wales (NSW): 9 students, with 22% female participation
Queensland (QLD): 4 students, with 50% female participation
Western Australia (WA): 3 students, with 67% female participation
Overall, our selection has achieved a 40% female representation, underscoring our commitment to supporting gender diversity in the power sector.
Male vs Female Awardees 2024
Our selection process
The selection process was tough this year, with strong interest in the Award and many eligible students. We’d love to be able to support all the applicants, but we simply can’t, so we focused our selection on ensuring diversity and opportunity across several dimensions:
State Representation: Students were chosen from six states, reflecting the national scope of the power sector.
Gender Balance: We’re delighted to have achieved 40% female representation, underscoring our dedication to gender diversity.
Year of Study: Priority was given to second and third-year students, so they can make the most of their exposure and networking opportunities over time.
New Attendees: First-time participants were prioritized to ensure that a fresh group of students benefits from this experience.
Other opportunities for undergrads to attend conferences
The API provides a range of opportunities for undergraduate students to immerse themselves in the power sector through attending industry conferences. The TJ Effeney Award is offered each year, which fully funds select students to attend major industry events, covering all associated costs such as registration, travel, and accommodation.
Beyond this prestigious award, the API also facilitates access to other significant conferences by negotiating discounted or free registrations and access to exclusive Industry Expo spaces. Recent examples where the API has enhanced student involvement include the Power + Utilities 2024 and Australian Energy Week 2024 conferences. These initiatives are part of API’s commitment to developing the next generation of energy sector professionals by providing them with invaluable learning and networking opportunities.
If you are interested in the next opportunity for the TJ Effeney award or the other opportunities to attend industry conferences, we encourage you to follow the API on our social media channels, and if you are an undergraduate student, sign up to our PowerUP program for undergraduate students.
About the TJ Effeney Award
The TJ Effeney Award is a part of the API’s portfolio to support undergraduate students to
gain inspiration and information about careers in the Australian power sector. The Award offers funding of approx. $20K per year to provide a significant opportunity for undergraduate students to develop their knowledge, networks and community orientation and service to the power sector community.
Our current model to achieve the outcomes of the Award is supporting a cohort of undergraduate students from across Australia to attend a selected industry-leading conference and through this to engage with each other and with practitioners and experts in the field.
For this year’s award, the recipients will participate in EESA’s EECON 2024 conference and an exclusive series of activities hosted by API and its member organisations. Past iterations of the Award have included student groups attending the EECON and ENA conferences and support for individual undergraduate students to undertake comprehensive international study trips. Reports from past awardees are available here.
The Award is generously supported by the API’s member organisations, with additional contributions by Energy Queensland (Ergon and Energex) and the Effeney Family. We also appreciate the generous assistance from our partnering conferences of low cost registrations for the students and API staff.
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