Our Technical Traineeships provide an opportunity to build or extend your technical career with a world class company. The Technical Trainee Program has been designed to provide participants with a broad understanding of the electricity supply industry, while also developing business and technical skills. Technical traineeship positions become available in many areas of the business, for both qualified tradespeople and non-trade qualified applicants who possess technical aptitude.
Technical Traineeships
The role of a Technical Trainee varies depending on the position and work group you join. Technical Trainees in Ergon Energy are utilised in many differing roles, including but not limited to:
- Civil Technical Officers, who provide cost-effective civil design and drafting services, project management, contract supervision and administer assets
- Network Control Officers, who monitor control and provide access for coordination of electrical systems, ensuring a safe secure and reliable supply of energy to customers
- Substation Design Officers, who provide detailed designs and drafting for transmission, bulk supply and zone substation projects
- Network Data Officers, who work with Geographic Information Systems to maintain data quality
- Electricity System Designers, who plan and design network installations.
Traineeships are a structured program tailored to specific business area needs. Participants undergo on-job rotations in various workgroups. If you do not hold a relevant trade, you'll also develop job skills through participating in 12 months of fieldwork within the first two years of your traineeship, as well as gaining appropriate job skills under the guidance of a mentor.
Currently we have more than 80 Technical Trainees completing the program.
Find out more information about job opportunities available to qualified Para-professionals and tradespeople at Ergon Energy.
Does this sound like the opportunity you've been looking for? Find out how to apply.
Work group descriptions
Substation Design – Toowoomba, Maryborough, Townsville, Cairns and Mackay
The Substation Design group is responsible for the design of major high voltage substations. This includes the layout of substations, the procurement of major plant and other equipment, the production of schematics and detailed engineering calculations and drawings. The design is then used by construction crews or external contractors to construct new substations. The group also provides a technical interface between external resources engaged to design and construct Ergon assets.
Distribution Design – Roma, Toowoomba, Maryborough, Mackay, Rockhampton, Townsville and Cairns
Distribution Design develops and designs layout for new distribution lines for domestic and small commercial business. The group is also responsible for the design for upgrading existing infrastructure, such a street lighting. This can be both overhead and underground services.
Civil Services Facilities Management – Toowoomba
The Facilities Management Group is directly responsible for the management, direction and coordination of resources and activities to provide reliable and efficient regional building and maintenance services. This includes providing professional advice on asset life cycle maintenance planning, maintenance of base building assets, rehabilitation and refurbishment requirements to ensure the civil and building operational integrity of the Corporation’s sub stations, power stations and communication facilities.
Regional Asset Management – Rockhampton
The Regional Asset Management Group provides technical services covering a broad range of asset management issues including network development, maintenance, and network performance and planning.
Transmission Line Design (Civil) - Townsville
This group designs major overhead power lines, 66kV and above, using a variety of structures including concrete poles, steel poles and transmission towers. This includes the layout of line routes and subsequent detailed design for each structure taking into account the terrain which may include water courses, crops and local environmental considerations.
Line Design Standards - Rockhampton
The Line Standards Group is responsible for the provision of Standards and Support Services associated with the Electrical and Mechanical Design and Maintenance of Ergon Energy Corporation's Overhead and Underground Distribution and Sub-Transmission System across Queensland.
Civil and Building - Cairns
The Civil and Building Group designs civil structures for distribution assets including substation structure footings, drainage and building layouts. Large civil constructions are managed by the group to ensure effective delivery of capital projects. This group also manages the maintenance and refurbishment of substation and other buildings.
Communication and Control System Design - Toowoomba
This group is responsible for the design of communication systems and SCADA (control) systems for the Ergon network. SCADA systems enable the control of devices on the electricity network and capture data for use by network operators. Communication systems are required to relay the information back to regional control centres. The Communication and Control Systems group designs radio, optic fibre, telephone and satellite systems to provide the required communications ability.
Operational Technology - Toowoomba
The Operational Technology group is accountable for developing policies, strategies and standards for all secondary systems, including network protection, SCADA and control systems. The group develops and recommends capital and maintenance programs for these systems, in line with agreed asset management strategies, while supporting the Asset Planning Manager in developing appropriate capital and maintenance programs. The group also manages all protection systems, including scheme design, specification, settings, investigations and performance analysis.
Network Data Operations – Cairns, Townsville and Rockhampton
Network Data is responsible for ensuring Ergon Energy's electrical distribution system data is stored and maintained in state-of-the-art systems and applications that allow for easy data access and reporting. Their aim is to improve data quality, systems and system integration, and business processes that support the entire asset management business. The services provided include reports and custom data extracts and the capture, processing and verification of asset data. In addition, they report on the progress in Ergon Energy's Data Improvement Program and we publish data quality reports through our intranet site.
Support & benefits
Ergon Energy supports its technical trainees with a range of training, on-the-job work experience, supervision and mentoring. You can expect to be supported by qualified professionals to assist you to learn in your day-to-day work environment.
Ergon Energy also provides you with:
- Uniforms
- Personal protective equipment - helmets, hats, glasses, gloves, safety boots, etc
- Tools, subject books and reference material, and other learning equipment/resources
- Living away from home allowance, when participating in rotational assignments, residential tertiary studies, or training courses as part of the program
- Employee Assistance Program - counselling and advice for dealing with personal concerns should they arise.
Career paths
After graduation from the program, employees will have access to employment development programs that provide opportunities for further career development.
Some of our current executives, senior managers, managers and team leaders started their careers in an electrical traineeship. It serves as an excellent foundation to understand electricity distribution. You can find yourself advancing in a range of streams within the electricity distribution business.