2024 has been an incredible year of growth and achievement for the Australian Power Institute, and I’m delighted to share some highlights in the linked Impact Report, along with a preview of what’s ahead in 2025.
One of this year’s standout successes was the Summer School in Hobart, our largest in years, with 50 attendees - 60% of whom were women in our Powerful Women Leadership Program. They were joined by 19 undergraduates, 7 PhD candidates, and 24 graduates for the POWERful Women Retreat, supported by our third and final year of funding from the Office of Prime Minister & Cabinet. This event highlighted the strength of our community and the ongoing impact of our diversity initiatives.
Looking ahead, we’re excited for Summer School 2025 in Melbourne, with online activities starting in February. Registrations are strong for the core residential program, and our new Retreats for male and female graduates are also gaining momentum: Career Starter (0–3 years experience) and Developing Professionals (4–6 years experience). These programs reflect our commitment to supporting diverse career pathways, with scholarships for 10 female undergraduates funded directly by API in 2025, following the conclusion of our POWERful Women grant funding in 2024.
Another major achievement in 2024 was the launch of the Power Up Community for undergraduate students. Building on the success of our scholarship program, this initiative is now open to all “Power Passionate” undergraduate students interested in careers in power. Over 900 students have joined since its launch earlier this year, gaining access to webinars, site tours, conferences, and other valuable opportunities. This expansion allows us to engage a broader audience while continuing to support our 100+ scholarship students through initiatives like the $1000 annual API scholarship and member-organised work placements. We’ll grow this community in 2025.
We also celebrated the annual TJ Effeney Award, supporting 25 undergraduates to attend the EESA EECON Conference in Sydney, thanks to the ongoing support of the API members, Energy Queensland and the Terry Effeney family. This program not only connects students to industry but also inspires them to see the exciting possibilities of a career in power engineering.
On the outreach front, our social media presence grew significantly, with vibrant content on platforms like TikTok and Instagram, showcasing interviews with power professionals at conferences and other events. This success is a testament to the work of our Marketing and Admin Coordinator, Aastha Makkar, who joined our team in January 2024.
We’ve also welcomed two other fantastic team members this year: Hayley Credaro, who joined as Partnerships Manager in November, focusing on member engagement and program value, and Cameron McMurtrie, who now leads our undergraduate portfolio and Power Up Program. Their contributions, along with those of the broader team, have been pivotal in expanding our reach and impact.
Our broader engagement strategy, led by Stephanie Somerville, made great strides in inspiring future talent in 2024 and has given us a wonderful foundation for promoting careers in power to young Australians in 2025. A new partnership with Study Work Grow resulted in the development and release of a new Careers in Power guide in November 2024, which has already been shared with 1200+ career advisors. The guide gives students valuable insights into pathways in power engineering. Meanwhile, a new partnership with SolarBuddy brought interactive solar kit workshops into classrooms, sparking curiosity about careers in energy and engineering. These workshops not only highlight the real-world impact of power engineering but also inspire students to envision their future in the sector.
Finally, our POWERful Women Leadership Program remains a cornerstone of our diversity initiatives. Led by Emily Marschke, the program continues to support women to developed thriving careers in the power sector. By linking with initiatives like our new SolarBuddy collaboration and connecting our Powerful Women participants with school students, we are also harnessing the unique value the API delivers through its interconnected and multi-generational programs. The Powerful Women program will continue to grow, and in December 2024 we submitted an grant application for a further ~$1M to extend the POWERful Women program for another three years. If successful, this funding will support scholarships for 185 women across VET students, undergraduates, early career, and senior professional stages, enabling more women to participate in the Summer School, POWERful Women program, and other impactful initiatives. Read more about the application here.
I want to express my heartfelt thanks to all our member organisations and the individuals who are such an integral part of API’s success. Your support makes achievements like these possible, and we couldn’t have done it without you.
A special thanks also to our exceptional team—Emily, Steph, Aastha, Cam, Hayley, and Laura (who left us in September). It’s been an honour working with you, and I’m excited to see what we achieve together in 2025.
Wishing you a joyful end to 2024 and a relaxing summer break, and here’s to another impactful year ahead!
Warm regards,
David Pointing
CEO, Australian Power Institute
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