Conrad leads charge into new-energy era

Mynt Energy Tech manufacture sustainable power generation and storage products.

The electrical industry is one of Australia’s largest apprentice employers, with the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) recording more than 40,000 apprentices and trainees in training in the Certificate III in Electrotechnology Electrician (UEE30811)(UEE30820) across the country at June 30 2023, and there are many different paths for workers to explore once their apprenticeship is completed.

Mr Desgranges completed his apprenticeship in 2011 at TAFE Queensland’s Acacia Ridge campus, the largest trade training facility in the Southern Hemisphere, and said the skills he learned across the course enabled him to follow interests and opportunities into niche industry sectors as they came up.

“The apprenticeship is really the beginning, because the electrical industry is so wide and there are so many different skills and types of work under that heading,” Mr Desgranges said.

“I had a lot of experience in commercial electrical work after my apprenticeship and stayed in that area for a few years, but once I became self-employed I really started to chase skills and opportunities in niche areas that interested me, marine electronics were one area I began working in at that time.”

“I’ve always been interested in what’s new and what’s exciting, I love problem solving and working together with likeminded people to create something new, so when I saw that sustainable onsite power generation was on the rise I jumped at the chance to be part of that process,” he said.

As construction and mining businesses across Queensland and the world focus on transitioning from diesel generators to greener alternatives for powering sites in remote locations, Mynt are leading the charge toward more sustainable onsite power generation.

The company started with hybrid solar-diesel systems and are now working on hydrogen fuel cell technology which would change the face of onsite power generation across Australia and even the globe.

Conrad, one of the electrical experts at the business, faces the task of implementing the principles acquired during his apprenticeship and subsequent industry experience to this emerging technology. This involves applying his knowledge of wiring systems, earthing processes, electrical safety standards, and circuit development to the power generation and storage products that Mynt is currently developing.

Electrical principles learned in an apprenticeship are required in a wide range of industries.

Conrad says it is important for apprentices in the electrical industry, or people considering an electrical apprenticeship, to know how broad the industry is and how many opportunities they will have to work in areas that interest them across their career.

“So many people think of electrical work as just wiring houses or doing commercial work, but there are so many niche areas of the industry and so much that you can learn and experience once you have the fundamental skills you learn in your apprenticeship,” Mr Desgranges said.

“A career in the electrical industry has meant I can work on anything that I find interesting or satisfying at the time. I never knew when I was an apprentice that I would be able to work on superyachts or on hydrogen generators and stackable battery systems but I’ve seen those opportunities and taken them.”

“I’d say to apprentices or to people considering an electrical career to always keep their eyes open and take opportunities that interest them. If you’re interested in renewables or marine work or another niche area then chase that and build all the knowledge you can,” he said.

TAFE Queensland has many post-trade training opportunities for electrical workers, including two micro-credentials directly related to Mynt Energy Tech’s groundbreaking work in hydrogen energy, the  Introduction to Hydrogen and Hydrogen Safety courses, which are available on the TAFE Queensland Course Gateway.