The New Energy Technology Systems (NETS)project was created in response to a rapidly growing sector and need for a skilled, stable and confident workforce to safely assess, design and install solar batteries across Victoria.

To increase consumer awareness of, and demand for, accredited tradespeople, as well as generate industry awareness of the new skills training and qualification, Future Energy Skills engaged Ellis Jones to undertake research, evaluation and a state-wide campaign, from strategic direction through to design and execution.

The project was designed to achieve economic and social outcomes, by linking industry, training organisations and government policy in Victoria’s fast-emerging solar energy market.

Working at both the system and user levels, the iterative approach to design and evaluation scales impact as sector participation grows.

Impact and evaluation work included:

• Design of an Impact Measurement Framework mapping project outcomes across consumer safety, productivity, and education. The measurement framework comprises outcomes, activities, indicators, and data collection methods.
• A co-design program with diverse stakeholders – registered training organisations, digital learning specialists, electricians, unions and Country Fire Authority – ensured an understanding of existing data and the development of appropriate new tools.
• Design and implementation of evaluation methods developed over the course of the project, including focus groups, interviews and surveys with students, educators and stakeholders across each stage of the project: from the creation of the training program to the implementation of the course and the consumer campaign.

Ellis Jones created a strategic awareness campaign, comprising:

• A strong, creative campaign concept unifying communication and messaging.
• A web application to function as a content hub and provide a clear pathway from awareness to action.
• A content marketing cycle to place user stories and increase cross-channel reach.
• Content partnerships to amplify campaign content reach and impact.
• Collaboration with the different project partner organisations.

The campaign ran for 24 months. Its success was measured by the following:

• Increases in enquiries and expressions of interest to the pilot training program
• Increases in enquiries from consumers seeking accredited solar battery tradespeople
• Microsite analytics, including page visits, Google search activity increases, click-throughs to installer search page, accreditation and enrolment websites
• Content and media reach, and media coverage.

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