A career in defence technology is a privilege – it provides young Australians with a deeper purpose | Stuart Whiley

Australia needs to supercharge its defence workforce to take on the AUKUS submarines project. ASC chief Stuart Whiley says there are many reasons for young people to get on board.

AUKUS is the greatest industrial undertaking in Australia’s history. In terms of its scale and complexity, it is breathtakingly ambitious. While I am confident the program will succeed, as a nation, we need to transform our workforce now to make the most of the opportunities that lie ahead.

To put things into context, when I first started work at ASC in January 1990, we only had a handful of employees at Osborne in South Australia working on the design of Australia’s six Collins Class submarines.

Today, ASC has more than 2500 people across Osborne, Henderson in Western Australia, Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, and Barrow in the United Kingdom, working on sustaining and extending the life of the Collins fleet, sustaining nuclear powered submarines and building the new generation of AUKUS submarines.

Across Australia, it is estimated that AUKUS will generate around 20,000 direct and indirect jobs. While we take delivery of the Virginia Class submarines and build the SSN AUKUS submarines, our Collins Class submarine fleet, maintained by our highly skilled workforce, will continue to deliver a potent capability for the nation.

As well as enhancing Australia’s defence capabilities and creating thousands of jobs, the submarine program will strengthen and diversify our nation’s industrial capability and deliver an unprecedented sovereign industrial base for future submarine construction and maintenance.

Over the next few years, ASC’s workforce will grow significantly. To be able to hire this highly skilled workforce, we need kids at school today to be thinking about careers that will involve sustaining our current submarine fleet as well as building the submarines of tomorrow.

AUKUS is a multi-generation program that will create a lifetime of opportunities with highly paid, stable and rewarding work.

There is a diverse range of skilled trades and specialised professionals that will be required, including marine, mechanical, nuclear and electrical engineers; skilled trades such as welders, electricians, pipefitters, and metal fabricators; quality assurance inspectors, project managers, and systems integrators; and support roles in logistics, procurement, and administration.

ASC is currently working with schools and tertiary institutions, governments, and industry partners, to develop new and innovative pathways for apprentices, graduates, and talent of all ages, into the AUKUS workforce.

For example, ASC supports workforce development initiatives with the South Australian Skills Commission and the SA Defence Industry Workforce and Skills Taskforce, and WA’s Department of Training and Workforce Development and the WA Defence Industry Workforce Office.

Stuart Whiley is ASC’s chief executive officer and managing director.

We are the lead defence industry partner for Tonsley Technical College, joint partner for the Heights Technical College, and we are partnered with the University of South Australia for software engineering degree-based apprenticeships.

ASC also has a dedicated Learning Centre at Port Adelaide, Operations Apprentice Program, Apprentice Submarine Foundation Program, Engineering Apprentice Program, Trade Training Program, a traineeship program, and both graduate and undergraduate engineering and corporate programs.

In another really exciting initiative, ASC is the industry lead for the Flinders Mechanical Engineering degree apprenticeship program. Earlier this year, we welcomed the first nine apprentices to our Osborne site.

This new pathway gives apprentices the opportunity to learn on the job, two days a week, while also studying at Flinders University the other three days. Graduating apprentices not only receive a qualification, they are paid to achieve it!

ASC has also helped drive the creation of a pipe fitting apprenticeship, which will upskill hundreds of employees in a manufacturing trade that is crucial to the AUKUS endeavour. When the new Skills and Training Academy Campus at Osborne opens, it will simulate a submarine construction yard, providing up to 1000 students a year hands-on skills and classroom-based learning.

Working in the submarine industry is a great career. I have worked at ASC for over 35 years and have never had a boring day. The work is hugely interesting, multifaceted and rewarding. It is a privilege to be part of something that helps keep Australia safe.

I have found a deeper purpose working at ASC and I would encourage others to consider a career in the submarine and maritime defence industries.

Stuart Whiley is CEO and managing director of ASC, a partner of Defending Australia

Originally published as A career in defence technology is a privilege – it provides young Australians with a deeper purpose | Stuart Whiley