The Commonwealth and South Australian governments have launched a roadmap detailing a strategy that will support the delivery of some of the nation’s most complex defence projects, including manufacturing nuclear-powered submarines and continuous naval shipbuilding.
The South Australian Defence Industry Workforce and Skills Report and Action Plan was developed by the South Australian Defence Industry Workforce and Skills Taskforce in collaboration with industry, unions, and education and training providers.
Unveiled by Acting Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Richard Marles and Premier of South Australia Peter Malinauskas, the plan aims to foster and sustain South Australia’s defence industry workforce for the future by establishing a highly educated and highly trained workforce.
“This report presents a comprehensive and methodical plan to grow, build and sustain the South Australian defence industry workforce, which is critical to delivery of SSN-AUKUS, continuous naval shipbuilding and our other defence projects,” said Deputy Prime Minister Marles.
“Some initiatives will leverage and expand on existing programs, building on substantial work already underway across government, defence industry and education and VET sectors. Other initiatives are new to help address identified skills gaps,” Marles added.
The report outlines 22 initiatives to further address workforce challenges and grow the South Australian defence industry workforce from 3,500 direct jobs to more than 8,500 in the 2040s. It also aims to engage approximately 27,000 students and 1,500 teachers in at least 180 South Australian schools to support STEM education pathways for students.
An industry capability pipeline of around 2,600 additional VET and university students will be established through flexible training programs, technical colleges, and STEM-focused higher-education places.
The plan has also zeroed in on establishing mid-career transition programs, the Skills and Training Academy and Defence Industry Leadership Program, to engage and upskill experienced workers and industry leaders.
Furthermore, the strategy targets strengthening STEM evaluations through a consistent methodology and supports the industry in sponsoring security clearances to engage highly skilled workers from Australia’s AUKUS partners.
“South Australia will play a leading role in building Australia’s industrial base by building the most complex machines in the world,” SA Premier Malinauskas said.
“Our critical national defence projects, including nuclear-powered submarines, will be delivered with the strength of a highly educated, highly trained workforce with the cutting edge skills and capabilities of the future,” he added.
In a media release, the SA government said it will continue its collaboration with the Commonwealth, industry leaders, and union partners to implement the package of initiatives included in the South Australian Defence Industry Workforce and Skills Report and Action Plan.
The strategy is slated for rollout in 2024.
