TasNetworks came into being on July 1, 2014, following the merger of Aurora Energy’s distribution network (i.e. poles and wires) and Transend Networks (i.e. big towers and lines). The state-owned corporation is responsible for supplying power to a quarter of a million Tasmanian homes and businesses. TasNetworks also owns and operates telecommunication infrastructure to “enable safe and efficient operation of the electricity system”. The corporation is part of the National Electricity Market. It is required to develop, operate and maintain its network under the National Electricity Rules. The Australian Energy Regulator determines what revenue TasNetworks can make and what it can charge its customers. The corporation is divided into six areas: Regulation Policy and Strategic Asset Management; Network Commercial & Major Customer; Operations & Customer Service Delivery; Technology & Performance; Strategy, Finance & Business Services; People, Culture & Community. The head office is the Hobart suburb of Lenah Valley. The corporation also has major resource centres, substations and regional depots scattered across Tasmania.

We were marked as one of Australia’s Top Graduate Employers for 2019, and ranked #6 in Australia for Top Intern Programs for 2018. The culture

TasNetworks is committed to recruiting those from “many parts of our community”. The corporation is at pains not to discriminate on the basis of gender, cultural or religious background, disability, age, sexual orientation or family responsibilities. It seeks to integrate diversity into its “training, policies and procedures” and “promote diversity in every part of our business”.

Diversity and inclusion sits at the heart of TasNetworks’ vision to be trusted by our customers to deliver today and create a better tomorrow. At TasNetworks we recognise that we succeed through shared respect, teamwork and diversity of thought. We celebrate and respect our diverse backgrounds, cultures, experience, education, age, sex, race, national origin, physical abilities, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, gender identity, and other real and perceived differences. We are here to support all our customers and our community, and are committed to building a workplace that is reflective of this diverse community. We are focused on establishing a culture of inclusion where all of our people feel valued and safe to be themselves at work.

TasNetworks offers successful candidates into the Graduate Program, a permanent contract with the first three years undertaking the graduate Program. This three year term promises to be packed with exciting challenges, professional development, mentoring, further training opportunities and numerous staff benefits. Being placed in various teams throughout our business enhances skill and knowledge capability building and supports professional development.

The development within the Graduate Program is flexible, with the majority of learnings being in-house and hands-on, supplemented by external training.

TasNetworks commits to exposing Graduates to a number of professional organisations relevant to their chosen field. To set Graduates up for success, there are multiple avenues of support built into the program. The Graduates support networks consist of the following roles;

• Program Leader
• Graduate Development Group
• Business Unit Sponsor
• Leader/Team Leader
• Mentors

We host Graduates in all disciplines including; Engineering, Information Systems, Human Resources, Legal Services, Telecommunications to name a few.

Former Graduate Daniel, talks to us about his experiences around progression from the program into employment with TasNetworks.

When I first found out I had an interview for the TasNetworks graduate program, I instantly knew that it was going to be different from most other work places. The first clue came in the description of the interview. Instead of the regular hour long interview process, TasNetworks asked us to take part in an engaging, action packed day of activities. Among other things, this included meeting the CEO, taking part in group problem solving tasks and attending a site tour of their Lenah Valley office run by graduates. I’ve never had such a good feeling about working at a company than I did on this day – everyone involved in the process genuinely loved being there and their enthusiasm was contagious.

After getting a job at TasNetworks and working here for 2 years, I can confirm that the enthusiasm and culture displayed on my interview day is a true reflection of TasNetworks. This culture is especially shown within the graduate group at TasNetworks, who are like a close knit family. Every year we get new graduates join our group and we encourage them to meet up with us every day for lunch in the cafeteria. We talk about the work day, play cards, or even head up to the table tennis tables.

On top of the great culture, the learning opportunities at TasNetworks are huge. The graduate program allows graduates to rotate into different areas of the business every 6 months. It might sound daunting, but it’s the best way to learn how a big company like TasNetworks operates. By moving into different teams, I’ve been able to learn from so many experienced people and discover how so many teams work together to achieve a common goal. Being part of the graduate program has given me unique skills that many other people in the business haven’t had the opportunity to develop. By rotating through so many teams, my network has increased and so has my ability to draw on people to achieve tasks much quicker than if I was working alone. If I decide in the future to become a leader or manager, experiences like these will be invaluable.

TasNetworks has been working to understand the global challenges facing the world and the role we can play in rising to meet these challenges.

We are supporting the transition to affordable and clean energy through the Marinus Link, a proposed 1500 megawatt capacity undersea electricity connection to link Tasmania and Victoria, as part of Australia’s future electricity grid.

Our community partnerships program supports community based organisations to make a meaningful difference in our community. In 2018-19 we provided support to more than 30 community organisations supporting suicide prevention, the environment and education.

TasNetworks care about our environment and advocate for a sustainable future. We are focused on accelerating our response to our impact on threatened birds, who can be electrocuted as a result of flying into our infrastructure. We are building knowledge and awareness and installing bird mitigation on our network in high-risk areas.

TasNetworks is committed to reducing inequalities and has recently launched our Diversity Inclusion Policy. We are committed to developing meaningful relationships with Tasmanian Aboriginal communities through development of a Reconciliation Action Plan to be launched in 2021.

Diversity and inclusion sits at the heart of TasNetworks’ vision to be trusted by our customers to deliver today and create a better tomorrow. At TasNetworks we recognise that we succeed through shared respect, teamwork and diversity of thought. We celebrate and respect our diverse backgrounds, cultures, experience, education, age, sex, race, national origin, physical abilities, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, gender identity, and other real and perceived differences. We are here to support all our customers and our community, and are committed to building a workplace that is reflective of this diverse community. We are focused on establishing a culture of inclusion where all of our people feel valued and safe to be themselves at work.

Our Graduates really do seem to love the experience of working at TasNetworks, having voted us into the top rankings as a Graduate Employer consistently over the past 4 years. The TasNetworks Intern Program has also been ranked in the “Top 50”.

TasNetworks is committed to keeping it’s people safe and well and with the knowledge that one in five Australians experience mental illness, the decision was made to sponsor The Mind Games. The Mind Games is a race for research to raise money and awareness for mental health research. The event was a huge success and those lucky enough to participate in the day had a fantastic time! The total amount raised for this very worthwhile cause in 2019 was $70,000 and TasNetworks has proudly signed on to be the naming rights sponsor of The Mind Games in 2020. 

The graduate cohort run the STEAM project; a TasNetworks funded community initiative aiming to provide opportunities and encourage interest and pathways in the STEM disciplines. Through the STEAM project the graduate’s partner with schools, organisations, and large scale events to deliver interactive science, engineering, arts and maths based activities – you may have seen us before at Festival of Bright Ideas or AgFest!

From 2020 STEAM will also be commencing our Mentoring Women in Engineering initiative to address the current gap in gender diversity within engineering (and the broader STEM areas), by providing support and encouragement to young women who may be interested in, or considering a career in engineering. The program will see participating students partnered with current TasNetworks graduates as mentors; to provide them with support and exposure to what a career in engineering could look like.