Energy Resources of Australia (ERA) is proud to support our crews to build their skills, learn new techniques and seek inspiration and innovation to better improve our operations for tomorrow.

For second year Heavy Equipment Workshop apprentice Brock Hope, his learning journey this month took him to the Hidden Valley Race Track to take part as pit crew on the Bridgestone World Solar Challenge.

The event has become the world’s foremost innovation challenge with teams from around the world vying to become the first to deliver sustainable solar powered electric vehicles.

This year marks the 30 year anniversary of the challenge with more than 50 entries from 26 countries taking part including teams from Korea, USA, Japan, Sweden and the Netherlands. There were also a number of Australian university teams including the Sol Invictus team from the Australian National University in Canberra.

Over the course of the week, Brock worked with the Sol Invictus team on their solar car as it progressed through road testing, scrutineering and finally departure. It was a chance to learn new skills, gain exposure to corporate racing teams, sponsorships and promotions and also innovation and problem solving. 

Brock’s inclusion in the team was due to his success at the Northern Territory Automotive Industry Apprentice Awards in 2016 where he caught the eye of the Motor Trades Association NT and was invited to join the Solar Challenge Team.