Transgrid has awarded scholarships to 21 undergraduate engineers from regional NSW, reinforcing its push to bolster the skilled workforce needed to deliver major grid-scale renewable infrastructure.
The latest round of support brings the total number of students backed under the Transgrid Engineering Scholarship Fund to 58 since its launch in 2023.
Funded with a $2 million commitment, the program will ultimately support 100 engineering students at Charles Sturt University with $20,000 each over four years.
The 2025 cohort includes recipients from across NSW’s renewable energy development zones, including the Riverina, Central West, Mid North Coast, and New England regions.
These are the same areas where Transgrid is leading transmission upgrades to integrate solar, wind and storage into the National Electricity Market.
Transgrid General Manager of Major Projects Daniel Banovic said the scholarship recipients were being positioned to play a direct role in the state’s clean energy buildout.
“The recipients of these scholarships have the opportunity to be at the forefront of NSW’s renewable energy transition and we are proud to support them to ease the financial burden and allow them to focus on their studies,” he said.
Banovic highlighted the ongoing delivery of Transgrid’s ‘2,500km energy superhighway,’ comprising EnergyConnect, HumeLink and VNI West – multi-billion dollar interconnection projects critical to future grid reliability.
“These projects will require hundreds of skilled personnel and world-class engineers now and in the years to come and we are committed to investing in the energy workforce to address jobs and skills shortages in regional NSW,” he said.
Charles Sturt University Manager of Development Justin Williams described the partnership as transformational for regional education pathways.
“These scholarships do more than just ease financial pressure – they send a clear message to students that industry leaders believe in their potential,” he said.
For some recipients, the support is life-changing, enabling them to pursue full-time study without the financial pressures that often deter rural students.