A new partnership announced between Snowy Hydro and TAFE NSW will see hundreds of training positions established for young people, including high school students, on the Snowy 2.0.

Leeton-raised James Fisher had the chance to work on the project in 2020 and urged any young Riverina residents looking to forge a career in construction to get involved.

"Working on the Snowy Hydro pretty much opened up the world for me," Mr Fisher said.

"It's a once in a lifetime sort of thing and especially when you're from a rural area in the Riverina, the opportunity to work on a multibillion-dollar project doesn't come up very often."

Mr Fisher now works as a mine surveyor in Broken Hill and credits much of his career to the skills and experiences he picked up while working with Snowy Hydro.

The Riverina has suffered from a well-documented skills shortage in recent years, exacerbated by pandemic-induced border closures locking the region to talented overseas professionals.

Julie Briggs, the chief executive officer of the Riverina Eastern Regional Organisation of Councils (REROC), believes the Snowy 2.0 jobs initiative could be a vital step in addressing the shortage.

"By the time Snowy 2.0 is completed these young people will be highly skilled workers who will be in high demand across the region," she said.

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Mrs Briggs said the young people who receive training through the scheme will be vital in filling the gaps set to be created in the near future as much of the Riverina's highly-skilled workforce retire.

"This will be a great benefit to us and it is a vital investment in the future of our region," she said.

Anthony McFarlane, the regional manager for Business NSW Murray-Riverina, echoed this sentiment and described the scheme as a great opportunity for the region.

He said the skills the trainees learn while working on the Snowy 2.0 will be transferable to other large projects set to be undertaken in the Riverina over the next few years such as HumeLink, Inland Rail and Energy Connect.

"This is not just a construction project, it's a chance for young people to be directly involved in the renewable energy future of our country," Mr McFarlane said.

The Snowy 2.0, located within Kosciuszko National Park, involves the construction of a 240-metre long pumped-hydro power station about 800 metres underground. It is expected to generate about 2000 megawatts of electricity.

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