Recent research by Defence SA has revealed that while the South Australia defence industry alone is expected to need an additional 10,000 people over the next 10 years, only some are aware of the career opportunities available in the State.
Defence SA Chief Executive Richard Price said the highest priority for South Australia was building the workforce needed for large-scale projects, including the nuclear submarines and Hunter Class frigates, as well as important Defence Force priorities such as information warfare.
“One part of building the workforce is ensuring people are aware of the opportunities and the pathways available to them to get there, so it is about education,” Mr Price said.
“The recent survey found that only 44 per cent of respondents knew that you didn’t need to be part of the Defence Force to be part of the defence industry, and only 11 per cent realised that a career in the defence industry is a lifelong career of 25 years and beyond,” he said.
“Our State is supporting the Australian Space Agency’s objective of growing the space workforce to 20,000 by 2030, so we are also keen to promote the opportunities in that sector.
Defence SA’s research also revealed that more men than women thought a career in the defence and space industries was for them, with 38 per cent of men saying they were likely to pursue a career in South Australia’s defence or space industries, compared with only 22 per cent of women.
“We are working closely with the Australian Government on the Defence Industry Workforce and Skills Taskforce to develop and implement a skills and workforce plan,” Defence SA said.
“We are also building five new technical colleges to support secondary school students to undertake vocational and technical training, including training relevant to the defence,” it said.
“People might be surprised about the type of careers available. We aren’t just talking about engineers and scientists, and there are also roles in project management, operations and trades, as well as design and IT.”
More information about careers in South Australia’s defence and space industries can be accessed at this PS News link.
