Hydrogen short courses for Engineering and other Professionals 

November 6th, 2023

R&D Focus Areas:
Skills and labour market 

Lead Organisation:
Deakin University 

Partners:
Not applicable 

Status:
Completed

Start date:
January 2022 

Completion date:
March 2024 

Key contacts:
Lecturer Rob McHenry– School of Engineering, Deakin University r.mchenry@deakin.edu.au
Dr Aiden Beer – School of Engineering, Deakin University aiden.beer@deakin.edu.au 
Dr Michael Pereira– School of Engineering, Deakin University michael.pereira@deakin.edu.au
Loren Tuck – Hycel, Deakin University loren.tuck@deakin.edu.au 

Funding:
AUD$132,000 – Hycel Technology Hub via Victorian State Government 

Project total cost:
AUD$132,000 cash contribution 

Project summary description:
The key objective was to understand the skills, knowledge and attributes required for engineers and other professionals to appropriately meet workplace demands of the emerging hydrogen sector. This project investigated the short course format to support hydrogen knowledge for career changers and career advancers.

The project involved strategic and specific knowledge sharing from professionals in the hydrogen industry as well as foundational knowledge regarding the science, opportunities, and challenges. As part of this project, the research team developed and delivered Australia’s first free online hydrogen short course for engineers and other professionals – ‘The Role of Hydrogen in the Clean Energy Transition’. As of August 2024, 1,362 learners have accessed the course.

Industry insights and learnings from the Free Online Course were analysed to establish a blueprint for a suite of Continuous Professional Development (CPD) courses and Microcredentials aimed at providing deeper learning on specific hydrogen topics.

Concurrent to this research, Engineers Australia began developing a new Hydrogen Area of Practice to define a national competency framework for engineering practitioners working in hydrogen related roles. The culmination of these aligned projects has been a partnership between Deakin and Engineers Australia to develop a suite of hydrogen CPD courses and Microcredentials, co-designed with industry, to be trialled and evaluated then ultimately launched in June 2025.

The project has involved:

  • Benchmarking to understand Australian and international hydrogen short courses and research to understand what is currently available, lessons learned and gaps in the training market.
  • Engagement and interviews with industry and academic peers to inform and review proposed course delivery models, content and assessment.
  • Design and development of short course materials and delivery methods.
  • Evaluating short course delivery method, short stackable course design and identification of next steps.

Related publications and key links:
Deakin University Hycel site: https://www.deakin.edu.au/hycel/focus-areas 

Higher degree studies supported:
Not applicable 

 

Reviewed: August 2024