Page 18 - Australian Defence Magazine October 2019
P. 18

NEWS REVIEW
INDUSTRY UPDATE
Developing careers for Australians
NATIONAL SHIPBUILDING COLLEGE | ADELAIDE
THE future of Australia’s naval shipbuild- ing workforce has arrived; they are the young Australian students interested and engaged in the Science, Technology, En- gineering and Maths (STEM) disciplines.
In a first for the biennial Pacific Inter- national Maritime Exposition, the Naval Shipbuilding College will host secondary and higher education students through a STEMulation Trail to meet and interact with potential Naval Shipbuilding Enter- prise employers, educators, trainers and key industry stakeholders.
After the STEMulation Trail, the RAN will provide students with a guided tour of a ship moored at nearby Garden Island.
Ian Irving, Chief Executive of the Naval Shipbuilding College said the STEMula- tion Trail is part of the College strategy to raise awareness among Australian stu- dents of the diverse career opportunities and pathways available within the Nation- al Naval Shipbuilding Enterprise.
“This represents a once in a lifetime opportunity for secondary and tertiary students,’’ he said. “The support of our in- dustry partners and stakeholders has been overwhelming. Major Defence industry companies BAE Systems, Naval Group, ASC, Luerssen, SAAB, Lockheed Mar-
tin and Northrop Grumman have come together to create this unique experience.’’ During the tour, students will meet with senior personnel from the companies delivering the Australian Government’s $90 billion continuous National Naval Shipbuilding Programs and the education and training networks providing the skill- ing pathways to employment. They will be immersed in interactive technologies including virtual and augmented realities. “The scope and scale of the Australian Government’s $90 billion investment is unprecedented in our industrial history,’’ Irving said. “To succeed it will require the development of a sovereign shipbuilding and sustainment capability that reaches into every state and territory, underpinned by enhanced industry collaboration to identify, attract, train and retain an appro- priately skilled and experienced shipbuild-
ing workforce.
“Today’s secondary school, TAFE and
higher education students will form a critical element of Australia’s future naval shipbuilding, supply chain and sustain- ment workforce.’’
Global prime shipbuilding companies through to small, bespoke local indus- try suppliers will all play a critical role in contributing to the realisation of a truly national and sustainable shipbuilding Enterprise.
New career opportunities will soon spawn throughout Australia, offering jobs across a diversity of disciplines from fab- rication roles in the construction yards, through to engineering roles in the de- sign bureaus and leadership opportunities within management teams.
The jobs of the future will be supported by state-of-the art digital tools embedded throughout the design and construction processes, as well as during integration across the supply chain.
It is estimated that around 15,000 workers will be needed across acquisi- tion, sustainment and the supply chain to support the National Naval Ship- building Enterprise.
The College is well advanced in partner- ing with training and education providers across Australia to ensure there is a sus-
tainable pipeline of skilled and job-ready workers available. However, large parts of this workforce are still three to four years away from graduating and the major com- panies’ current needs are for workers who are skilled and experienced to lead and establish the core of their design and con- struction teams.
To help meet this demand the College is managing a national Workforce Register. First time entrants, people transitioning from adjacent industries or those wish- ing to upskill within the industry can use the Workforce Register to be connected with appropriate training and education providers and potential employers across Australia.
Candidate Endorsement Consultants provide tailored training, education and career path guidance to people seeking to acquire the skills and experience required by future employers.
It’s an exciting time in Australia’s Naval Shipbuilding Enterprise. More than 1,400 people have already registered their inter- est to work on some of the most techno- logically advanced projects on the planet and thousands more are expected to fol- low as we extend our engagement across the country, to elevate naval shipbuilding as a career of choice.
It is partnering with Defence, industry and a national network of training and education providers to play an integral role in developing the Australian workforce re- quired to ensure our nation successfully delivers the critical naval capabilities that support our national security.
Through fostering trusting, profes- sional, and collaborative relationships with global shipbuilding companies, it’s using industry data to forecast the future workforce requirements of the Enterprise. While many of these companies are tra- ditionally in competition both nationally and globally, they are committed to pull- ing in the same direction to grow the tal- ent pool, through establishing and devel- oping new workforce pipelines to ensure the success of the Enterprise.
To join the national Workforce Regis- ter visit: www.navalshipbuildingcollege. com.au
The OPVs will be built in both SA and WA.
18 | October 2019 | www.australiandefence.com.au


































































































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