From coal to renewables: A career from the ground up

As NSW undergoes the biggest energy shift in a century, new career opportunities are emerging across regional communities.

One of those opportunities led Melissa Bird from a career in coal to renewable energy. 

Today, Melissa is the Owner's Site Representative at the Bulabul Battery project in Wellington, on Wiradjuri Country in the Central West of NSW. 

Melissa oversees construction delivery, health, safety and environmental performance, compliance with project approvals and contractual requirements, and stakeholder engagement. Her day-to-day work helps ensure Stage 1 of the AMPYR Australia project is delivered safely, meets project requirements and maintains strong relationships with stakeholders. 

Once completed, the Bulabul Battery will be capable of powering 52,200 homes. 

Starting out

"As I was approaching the end of Year 12, I was pretty sure that I wasn't really university-minded," Melissa says. 

Instead, she has built her career through hands-on experience, workplace training and TAFE qualifications. 

"I initially started my working career in the coal side of commodities.”

"I started learning hands- on from the ground up, and that has been key to progressing my career to where I am today."

Her experience shows there’s many ways to join the energy sector, including on-the-job training, apprenticeships, traineeships and vocational education.

New opportunities in a growing industry

After seeing there were growing opportunities for people from a wide range of backgrounds within renewable energy, Melissa made the switch. 

"It's definitely an exciting time in renewables."

"It's exciting to be part of an industry that's evolving so quickly and creating opportunities in regional communities."

As NSW modernises our electricity system, renewable energy generation, storage and transmission projects are creating long-term secure jobs.

By 2035, NSW's renewable energy zones and priority transmission projects are forecast to support around 6,970 jobs during peak construction and 4,450 ongoing jobs, mostly in regional areas.

More women in renewable energy

Melissa is encouraged by the growing number of women entering the industry.

"We are seeing more opportunities for an underrepresented group, and we are seeing more women explore employment in the renewable energy space."

Women are playing an increasingly important role across the sector, from technical and construction roles through to project management, community engagement and leadership positions.

Melissa is passionate about encouraging all women – including young women and First Nations women – to explore available opportunities and build meaningful careers close to home.

“I just really love endorsing women to have the confidence to step out of that normal avenue that they might take, and give construction and other heavy industries a thought.”