Industry News

The Western Australian Government has hailed an ‘exciting new era in training’ after launching the Goldfields Institute of Technology Esperance Region campus.

Formally known as the Vocational Training Education Centre, the new institute has become an independent State Training Provider and a statutory authority.

State Minister for Training and Workforce Development Minister Murray Cowper said the formation of the new institute was another step in the State Government’s strategy to transform Western Australia’s training sector.

“The institute will continue to raise the status of training in the region and provide improved opportunities for the community to access training and employment in occupations so desperately needed by local industry such as transport, farming and tourism,” Mr Cowper said.

The institute will take direction from a Government Council led by chairman David Nicholson and made up of key figures in the region. 

Chevron has announced the start of its recruitment drive for its massive Wheatstone LNG Project, which is expected to see up to 5,000 workers employed.

Western Australian Commerce Minister Simon O’Brien attended the launch of the Wheatstone Jobs Facility, which is considered a central plank to the drive.

Mr O’Brien said he understood that Chevron, and its head contractor Bechtel, intended to fill as many of the 5,000 places within Australia.

“I congratulate Chevron and Bechtel for taking this action at a time when there is considerable discussion about resource project proponents, and their attitude to the use of Australian workers,” Mr O’Brien said.

“In my experience, project proponents are very keen to employ locally; and overseas sourcing is only pursued when no viable local alternative exists.

The jobs facility will enable individuals to register their skills and be considered for relevant vacancies.  Medical facilities will also operate on-site to facilitate the recruitment process.

The Federal Government has announced it will provide up to $1.2 million to fund exploration of new proposals to improve irrigation efficiency in South Australia.

Federal Water Minister Tony Burke said the funding was made available to explore options for infrastructure funding for South Australian irrigators that provide value for money and would restore the health of the Murray-Darling Basin.

The funding will support the South Australian Government and the South Australian Water Industry Alliance to undertake a feasibility study and a business case and program proposal for the South Australian River Murray Improvements Program.

“The high efficiency of so many south Australian irrigators has made it difficult for many of them to access previous rounds of funding,’’ Mr Burke said.

“This initiative aims to find ways that South Australian irrigators can help bridge the gap and still get their fair share of funds.

“I’m pleased the funding will give South Australia the opportunity to examine in depth some of the ideas put forward in an initial discussion paper by the Water Industry Alliance.

South Australian Minister for Water and the River Murray Paul Caica welcomed the Commonwealth funding, and said it was a chance to build on the state’s past water saving efforts and invest in the region.

"This funding is the first step towards helping our irrigators take their water efficiency to the next level and enhance their reputation for sustainable and high quality produce,’’ Mr Caica said.

MHM Metals has announced the appointment of Phil Thick as the company’s new Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, with Frank Rogers stepping down to assume the role of Technological Director in a continued executive board position.

Both appointments are effective immediately and will see MHM continue to shift its business to the  US market over the next 12 months.

Mr Rogers congratulated Mr Thick for his appointment, describing him as the ideal choice in leading the company’s expansion into the US market.

“Phil is a great asset for the company and his focus and  experience are crucial as the company ramps up in Geelong, builds its new Kentucky plant and potential corporate changes with our silica assets,”  Mr Rogers said.

Mr Thick has been given a mandate from the board to provide shareholders with a clear and concise roadmap and timetable in the shorter term for delivering profitable operations in Geelong and to oversee finalisation of financing for MHM’s US expansion.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) has published an article which examines the wage and salary income variations across Local Government Regions, using key data to explore which LGAs enjoy higher wage and salaries and which one’s have a case for improved wage conditions.

According to statistics released by the ABS, New South Wales dominated the higher paid councils, with the state claiming the top five highest paid councils, with four Western Australian councils and one South Australian council.

Map 1. Average annual wage and salary income by LGA, 2008-09

The ABS found that all LGAs in Australia experienced growth in average annual wage and salary between 2003 and 2009, with Western Australia recording the highest proportion of wage increases for LGA employees. Many LGAs in the Perth metropolitan area also experienced relatively high growth in average Wage and salary income, with average annual growth rates above 6%. Many of the metropolitan areas of Australia's other capital cities experienced average annual growth rates of Wage and salary income that were very close to or only slightly below the Australian average growth rate of 4.8%. 

Map2. Growth of average annual wage and salary income 2003 – 2009

The data released by the ABS also shows that there is not necessarily a correlation between high wage and salary growth and actual salary and wages. For example, Tammin experienced the second highest annual growth of wage and salary at 11.9 per cent, but the average wage and salary income in the region was $32.198.

Conversely, a high wage and salary does not translate to a rapid wage growth. The City of Stronnington, in Melbourne’s southeast, had an average wage and salary of $63,775 in 2008-09 but only a growth rate of 3.8 per cent.

The full article can be found here

The New South Wales Department of Planning and Infrastructure has outlined the future of the state’s planning framework. The Green Paper – A New Planning System for NSW details the State Government’s objectives for a more transparent, effective and efficient planning system for the state.

The Green Paper delivers a complete overhaul to the 30-year-old Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 with the intention to place community participation at the forefront of the state’s planning system.

The State Government believes that the rejuvenation of the planning system will allow future town and city development to better reflect the desires of the community.

The Green Paper outlines 23 changes which will place NSW back in contention for the leading planning system in the country.

• Development applications (DAs) for swimming pools, garages, new houses, changing a shop’s use and other routine proposals will be considered and dealt with faster by the local council or an accredited certifier.
• Council staff are currently responsible for determining some 97 per cent of development applications. Councillors decide around 3 per cent.
• The legislation has been modified over 150 times to try to keep up with changes in the community.
• Each year there are up to 109 changes to Local Environmental Plans across the state.

Communities have two months to have their say until 14 September 2012.

An online consultation has been set up at www.haveyoursay.nsw.gov.au/newplanningsystem

Further information can be found at the Department of Planning and Infrastructure website:www.planning.nsw.gov.au

Consumer advocacy group CHOICE has released damming findings that show Australian consumers pay in excess of 50 per cent more for a variety of electronic goods and services.

In preparing their submission for the Parliamentary Inquiry into electronic price discrimination against Australian consumers, CHOICE found that Australians are paying on average 34 per cent more for software, 51 per cent more for iTunes products, 88 per cent more for Wii games and 41 per cent more for computer hardware than their American counterparts.

In its submission to the Inquiry, CHOICE said that high IT prices were continuing to disadvantage all consumers and is serving to create even more barriers for people on low incomes or in remote areas. The high price, according to CHOICE, is also preventing businesses from fully engaging in the digital economy.

CHOICE made three main recommendations to combat international price discriminations:

• Educate consumers through government initiatives so people know their rights when shopping online - particularly in relation to returns and refunds, accessing legitimate parallel imports from foreign markets, as well as privacy and security.
• Investigation by the Federal Government into whether technological measures enabling suppliers to discriminate against Australian consumers, such as region-coding or identifying IP addresses, should continue to be allowed.
• Keep the low-value threshold (LVT) exemption for GST and duty on imported goods unchanged at $1000.

The full submission can be found here

http://www.choice.com.au/media-and-news/consumer-news/news/~/media/EBC68BC786FA4161AF1E2E966B442DB4.ashx

Wholly owned Patrick’s Port operator Asciano has announced it has approved a capital investment program aimed at comprehensively redeveloping and expanding its container terminal at Sydney’s Port Botany.

The $348 million redevelopment package will see the introduction of state-of-the-art Terminal handling technology, additional cranes and straddles and upgraded employee facilities.

The redevelopment and expansion project will see the Port house four births and 1400 metres of quay line, with capacity upgraded from 1.15 million to 1.6 million TEU per annum in a bid to meet trade growth forecasts.

“The redevelopment will reinforce Patrick’s position as Australia’s leading stevedore, ensuring our ongoing competitiveness by delivering improved customer service, higher levels of safety, and significantly enhanced operational efficiency and productivity.” Asciano CEO and Managing Director John Mullen said.

The expansion is due for completion during 2014, with Asciano saying it will deliver substantial returns from productivity improvements, including significant cost savings and will secure Patrick’s tenure at Port Botany until 2043.

“The redevelopment of our Port Botany Container Terminal together with the previously announced 9 new cranes and additional equipment at our Brisbane, Melbourne and Fremantle and Sydney container terminals will continue to drive productivity on Australian wharves towards best practice,” Mr Mullen added.

Asciano has admitted that 270 positions are expected to be made redundant at the end of the project work in mid-2014, but has reiterated its strong commitment to redeployment opportunities for affected staff.

“We are committed to working closely with all employees impacted by the decision and will immediately commence consultation with our workforce and their representatives on the likely implications on future labour requirements and working arrangements,” Mr Mullen concluded. 

The South Australian Government has formally apologised to those people who’s lives were affected by past forced adoption practices.

It is estimated that over 17,000 children were adopted out in South Australia before 1980, with an unspecified number of those the victim of forced adoption practices.

In a special sitting in the State Parliament, South Australian members of the lower house acknowledged and apologised for the ‘deep distress and hurt’ that the practice has inflicted on parents and children.

“Our apology will recognise that those practices directly affected many of those parents whose children were adopted by force and many of those people who were separated from their parents as children,” Mr Weatherill said.

“This apology is long overdue, but we hope it will be a significant moment for those affected.”

The apology is consistent with a recommendation made by the Commonwealth Government Senate Committee report, The Commonwealth Contribution to Former Forced Adoption Policy and Practices, which was released in February this year.

The South Australian Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources has announced it will commence conducting rural water meter inspections and audits in the Padthaway, Keith, Willalooka, Bordertown and Mundulla areas over the coming three weeks.

Water meters have been progressively installed in the region since 2003 with approximately 4,200 water meters installed across the 28,500 square kilometre catchment area of the Lower Limestone Coast. Currently licensees who extract water in the region must install a water meter to their pumping infrastructure to enable accurate measurement of water taken each year.

Manager Customer Service and Programs, South East Nick McIntyre said that there are several reasons why obtaining accurate meter readings is important. 

‘We need to obtain water use information each year so that the aggregate usage for all water licences can be compared to groundwater level monitoring data, particularly in those areas where there are higher levels of groundwater use. This information can then be used to assess the capacity of the ground water resource for ongoing management. The readings can also be used by the licensees to manage on farm water use efficiencies.’

‘We also are keen to assist licensees to achieve compliance with their licensing conditions and if necessary we can provide assistance on how to read the meters on site. Members of the local community have previously supported metering inspections and understand the importance of ensuring responsible water resource management for the region’ said Mr. McIntyre. 

The Department has engaged external contractors from within the region to undertake the majority of the meter reading and auditing tasks.  If licensees wish to discuss aspects of the meter reading and audit program or need assistance to read their water meters they should contact the Department on 87351134.

The Australian chapter of the International Association of Hydrogeologists has named Mount Gambier’s iconic Blue Lake has been named as one of Australia’s seven hydrogeological wonders.

The association named the Great Artesian Basin – one of the largest groundwater basins in the world and covering 22 per cent of the Australian continent, including the north-eastern part of South Australia - the most outstanding on the list.

Jeff Lawson, Principal Technical Officer for the Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources in the South East, said the lake, in one of three extinct volcanic craters in the area, was critical to the Mount Gambier community.

“Its unique colour makes it an international tourist attraction, locals use its surrounds as a key recreational facility, and it is also the city’s source of water,” he said.

“It provides an average of 3.5 billion litres of water to Mount Gambier each year from a reservoir of approximately 36 billion litres, and recharges its volume from groundwater storage about every eight years.

“There are other blue lakes in the world, but this one is unique due to its colour change from steel blue in winter to turquoise blue between November and March.”

The lake is part of Mount Gambier’s Crater Lakes Complex, a volcanic area formed about 30,000 years ago.  It is also a State Heritage area and part of the Kanawinka Global Geopark, which covers the South East and part of south-western Victoria and is a member of UNESCO’s Global Network of National Geoparks.

The world’s largest full-service restaurant company has invested US$900,000 in research being conducted into seafood sustainability by the University of Tasmania’s Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies (IMAS).

Orlando, Florida-based Darden Restaurants owns and operates more than 2,000 eateries, its best known brands being the Red Lobster, Olive Garden and LongHorn Steakhouse chains.

UTAS’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research), Professor Paddy Nixon, welcomed the announcement and said that the funds would help establish an experimental aquaculture facility. (The Australian Government announced on June 1 $5 million in funding for two new UTAS research centres, one being the aquaculture facility).

“Tasmania has long been a leader in this field and this investment recognises IMAS’s key role in support of the seafood industry in our region, with its core research themes of fisheries and aquaculture, marine ecology and biodiversity, and ocean and climate,” he said.

“Climate change in particular is presenting many challenges for our seafood industry, especially as the Southern Ocean is warming faster than the global average.

“The challenge for researchers, and the industry, is to finding ways to adapt to these changes while at the same time meeting the demand for safe, sustainable seafood. This investment will help meet that challenge,” Prof Nixon said.

The Senior Vice-President of Purchasing and Supply Chain Innovation for Darden, Bill Herzig, added: “As one of the largest seafood buyers in the world, Darden understands that global demand for seafood exceeds the available capacity of our oceans’ natural resources.

“We believe that wild fisheries and aquaculture will be essential in meeting the growing demand for seafood. That’s why we’re committed to investing in leading research efforts to ensure both methods can be conducted sustainably and in ways that preserve and enhance ecosystems.

“IMAS is a leading research institution for wild harvest fisheries and aquaculture production, and we hope our investment will attract additional investment from the public and private sectors to enhance seafood sustainability efforts around the world,” Mr Herzig said.

Examples of current IMAS projects include: climate change adaptation for fisheries and aquaculture; salmon aquaculture sustainability; lobster lifecycle research; the impact of pollutants on marine ecosystems; understanding the benefits and costs of marine-protected areas; increasing the profitability of lobster fisheries; novel methods of assessing abalone stocks and addressing the threat of invasive marine pests.

The Commonwealth Bank is set to follow in the footsteps of its competition after it announced it will freeze the pay of around 400 senior staff, including CEO Ian Narev, in a bid to ward off potential job cuts.

The wage freeze will apply to all staff earning in excess of a $150,000 base salary during the 2012-13 financial year, The Commonwealth Bank will now join its competitors ANZ and Westpac, both of who announced wage freezes for their top earners in a bid to stave off potential job cuts.

The bank’s share price rallied on the news, gaining 1.6 per cent to finish at $54.92. 

The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) has published a report that indicates that Australia’s are eating too much of some foods and too little of others, with people consuming a higher percentage of their daily energy intake in the form of sugary or fatty foods.

“The report shows that many Australians are not striking a balance between foods high in fat and sugar and more nutritious choices,” said AIHW spokesperson Lisa McGlynn.

The report found that people were increasingly referencing ‘treat’ foods as a staple source of nutrients, with ‘treat’ foods, such as takeaway items, cirsps and confectionary, accounting for an increasingly large percentage of their daily energy intake. According to the report, treat foods now account for 36 per cent of daily energy intake for adults and 41 per cent for children.

Alarmingly, more than 9 in 10 people aged 16 and over don’t eat the recommended 5 serves of vegetables, adolescent girls don’t eat enough dairy foods or alternatives, and 25% of men and 10% of women aged 65 and over don’t eat enough protein foods.

However, it seems that poor dietary choices are caused increasingly by the unavailability of healthy alternatives.

“The cost of healthy food is increasing at a faster rate than the cost of less healthy food, particularly in remote areas, where a healthy basket of food can cost up to 30% more than in capital cities. This may influence some people to buy less healthy foods due to limited choice and high cost,” Ms McGlynn said.

The report also found that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and those from lower socioeconomic status areas are significantly more likely to have fewer serves of fruit and vegetables and be overweight or obese.

Full reports: Australia’s food & nutrition 2012 and Australia’s food & nutrition: in brief

The Minister for Industry and Innovation, Greg Combet, has announced enhanced support for manufacturing under the Commercialisation Australia program.

New funding guidelines, foreshadowed in December, deliver more generous arrangements for early stage commercialisation (ESC) grant recipients needing to establish manufacturing facilities in Australia to fully commercialise their invention.

Where a pilot manufacturing plant is required to demonstrate the commercial feasibility of producing innovative products or services, the entire cost of establishing the plant, rather than just the depreciation, is now deemed eligible expenditure.

"A healthy manufacturing sector is important to Australia's future wealth and employment opportunities. Commercialisation Australia is supporting a number of innovative manufacturing and engineering processes that have applications across Australia's economy. The new arrangements will help strengthen this vital sector," Mr Combet said.

The new rules coincide with the announcement of two new board members: Brisbane-based manufacturing expert Christine Bridges-Taylor and Adelaide-based biotechnology authority Dr Leanna Read.

Ms Bridges-Taylor is General Manager at B&R Enclosures, a family owned and operated company specializing in the manufacture and supply of electrical products designed for Australian conditions, and has extensive experience in managing manufacturing entities.

Dr Leanna Read was a member of the Prime Minister's Science, Engineering and Innovation Council for six years and the founding Managing Director and CEO of biotechnology company, TGR BioSciences Pty Ltd from 2001 - 2011. She is currently a member of BioAngels, an Adelaide-based Angel investor network.

The two new appointments will replace existing board members Mr Nixon Apple and Dr Katherine Woodthorpe. Mr Apple has recently taken up a position on the Clean Technology Innovation Committee of Innovation Australia and is currently serving on the Prime Minister's Manufacturing Taskforce.

Dr Woodthorpe is leaving to devote more time to her roles as the Chief Executive of the Australian Private Equity and Venture Capital Association (AVCAL), and Chair of the Antarctic Climate and Ecosystems Cooperative Research Centre.

Innovative individuals and projects across seven fields have an opportunity to secure cash prizes and national recognition as part of the Australian Innovation Challenge, an initiative of The Australian newspaper in association with Shell Australia.

The seven fields in which prizes are awarded are: Environment and Agriculture/Food; Health; Community Services; Minerals and Energy; Manufacturing and Hi-Tech Design; ICT; and Education.

The Federal Government is supporting the Australian Innovation Challenge support through the Department of Industry, Innovation, Science, Research and Tertiary Education.

The technology created by the winner of last year's challenge, Professor Mark Kendall, is being commercialised by Vaxxas Pty Ltd, a company established with funding from the Government's Innovation Investment Fund.

The Australian Innovation Challenge has seven categories: Environment & Agriculture/Food, Health, Community Services, Minerals and Energy, Manufacturing and Hi-tech Design, ICT, and Education.

The winner of each category will receive $5,000 and the overall winner will receive $25,000.

In addition, there is a Backyard Innovation category (prize money of $10,000), which covers inventions by the general public that are at an advanced stage.

Entries close on August 12. Details are available at www.theaustralian.com.au/innovationchallenge and www.ausindustry.gov.au.

The Federal Government has announced that tourism operators facing increased labour and skills pressures will be offered direct support through a new federally funded $8.5 million workforce development project.  

The new Tourism and Hospitality Skills and Workforce Development Project will aim to ensure that the industry has access to a pool of well-trained and skilled workers who can provide the high quality of service required in the competitive tourism market.

“Up to 2,000 predominantly small tourism businesses will be offered tailored one-on-one help with their future workforce skills planning through a $4.4 million advisory service,” Federal Minister for Tourism Martin Ferguson said.

A further $2.4 million will offer businesses tailored training programs on a co-contribution basis, to ensure their employees training is aligned directed to businesses current and future needs. 

The remaining $1.7 million will enhance the Tourism Employment Plans (TEPs) being rolled out in a number tourism ‘hot spots’ across Australia including regional Victoria, Tropical North Queensland, Kangaroo Island, regional Tasmania, Sydney and Canberra.  TEPs aim to provide tailored strategies to link industry with Government programs to support recruitment and retention of workers in regions reliant on tourism.

“Tourism is a labour intensive industry, to lift productivity and service quality we need to continue to invest in its people,” Minister Ferguson said.

“With an estimated 36,000 vacancies in tourism businesses, the project builds on the Australian Government’s commitments to increase labour supply, which include Tourism Employment Plans and the Seasonal Worker Program trial for tourism.”

The project is being managed by Service Skills Australia as part of the $700 million National Workforce Development Fund (NWDF).

Stronger links with industry and access to more overseas facilities for Australian astronomers are among the areas Australia's national astronomical observatory will emphasise in the next few years, according to a recently released review.

The Australian Astronomical Observatory's (AAO) Forward Look review, released by Science and Research Minister Senator Chris Evans, delivers a specific strategy for Australian astronomy out to 2015 and, more broadly, to the end of the decade.

"The AAO provides Australian astronomers with access to world-class optical and infrared observing facilities, enabling them to do excellent science in Australia and abroad," Senator Evans said.

"The AAO is at the forefront of developing innovative technologies to address challenges in astronomy that could have important commercial implications in the future.

Senator Evans said that as part of the review, the AAO made a commitment to work with the Department of Industry, Innovation, Science, Research and Tertiary Education to share that technology and research with Australian industry.

As a priority, the AAO will pursue greater access to large international optical telescopes for Australian astronomers.

Australia currently has a 6.2 per cent share in the two eight-metre Gemini telescopes, one in Hawaii and the other in Chile. The AAO will endeavour to boost access for Australian astronomers to the level of a 20 per cent share in an eight-metre telescope.

"These programs are undertaken in collaboration with Australian and overseas institutions, and the AAO will look to multiply and strengthen links with our international partners," Senator Evans said.

"At the same time, it will seek to share its intellectual property with industry, in line with the National Innovation Priorities."

The AAO is already a world leader in wide-field multi-object spectrographs and robotic fibre positioners, which are used on many of the world's largest telescopes to survey stars in our own galaxy and galaxies throughout the universe, and has several new technologies under development.

"AAO plans to continue to operate its flagship telescope, the four-metre Anglo-Australian Telescope at Siding Spring Observatory in NSW, for at least another decade," AAO Director Professor Matthew Colless said.

"Few other institutions have access to their own large telescope, which is invaluable for testing and developing less costly prototypes of instruments before more expensive versions are built for larger telescopes.

"New instruments will keep the AAT internationally competitive and a valuable facility for Australian astronomers."

The Forward Look was developed in consultation with all major stakeholders of Australian astronomy and within the framework of the Australian astronomical community's decadal plan for 2006-2015.

It was launched at the annual scientific meeting of the Astronomical Society of Australia held in Sydney.

The New South Wales Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) has approved an application for a one off discharge of waste water produced by the Metgasco coal seam gas operations into the Casino Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) facility.

The EPA’s decision on the matter comes after the Authority received confirmation that the NSW Office of Water had undertaken a comprehensive review and issued an approval for the disposal of the CSG water.

Acting Chief Environmental Regulator for the NSW EPA, Mark Gifford, said the EPA had been working closely with the Department of Water and other relevant agencies in considering the application, made by the Richmond Valley Council.

"The licence variation includes strict volume and quality limits on the produced water permitted to be taken. The EPA is satisfied that the STP can effectively treat the produced water without compromising the environmental performance of the plant," Mr. Gifford said.

"The EPA has also included a special licence condition requiring Council to ensure that monitoring is undertaken and to report to the EPA during the water delivery and treatment process. This will ensure that the EPA can properly regulate the activity". 

Mr Gifford reiterated that the approval of the disposal of the water was not a long term solution, but will allow Metgasco to reduce the volume of stored produced water and would significantly reduce the risk of potential overflows while management systems are put into place.

"The one-off solution to this issue is a good example of all parties working to achieve a sensible outcome.  The produced water that is transferred will have no adverse affect on the operations of the plant and deliver a good environmental outcome for the community,” Richmond Valley Council General Manger John Walker said. 

The Australian Government has announced almost $1.3 million of funding for Australia’s next generation of solar researchers.

 Minister for Resources and Energy, Martin Ferguson joined some of the grant recipients at the Australian Solar Institute's (ASI) ‘Three Minute Solar Thesis Challenge’ held at the Australian National University.

Speaking at the Challenge, Minister Ferguson congratulated the researchers on successfully receiving the PhD Scholarships and Postdoctoral Fellowships.

“The Skills Development Program supports the work of our upcoming solar researchers who will ultimately work with industry to help make solar more efficient and cost effective,” Mr Ferguson said.

The Skills Development Program is supporting projects ranging from techniques to improve the efficiency of solar cells made from low-cost and readily available organic materials, to investigating ways to optimise hybrid solar-diesel systems in remote areas using smart grids.

The ‘Three Minute Solar Thesis Challenge’ gave ASI PhD Scholars and Postdoctoral Fellows three minutes and three slides to convince an eminent panel of researchers of their project’s merits. The Challenge provided participants with the opportunity to sharpen their communication skills and meet with colleagues from other universities.

The new funding recipients will join an existing group of 24 early career researchers working to advance photovoltaic and concentrating solar power technologies through the ASI’s Skills Development Program.