Australian universities will team with UK, US unis on nuclear training

Australian universities will team with institutions in the US and UK to meet the need for advanced training in nuclear skills.

Virginia-class attack submarine USS California, similar to the first three nuclear-powered submarines Australia will buy from the United States.

Australian universities will establish their own network across the AUKUS nations to deliver the training and research in the advanced technological skills needed to build and operate the navy’s coming fleet of nuclear submarines.

Following Tuesday’s submarine announcement, the Group of Eight research universities will meet in Washington next month with counterpart university groups from the US and the UK, as well as the main US research funding agency the National Science Foundation, to work on the detail of how universities will support AUKUS.

“We are absolutely committed to upskilling and training the next generation workforce to meet the demands of industry and to educate the skilled graduates required to support our nation’s security requirements,” said Group of Eight CEO Vicki Thomson.

She said the AUKUS discussions with US and UK counterparts began 18 months ago after the submarine deal was first revealed when there was a recognition that no one Australian university, and not even all Australian universities working together, could deliver enough trained people in the time available.

There will be a huge demand for nuclear specialists in the navy, in the new ship yards which will build and maintain nuclear submarines and in government and regulatory agencies to ensure the success of the project.

Australia is very light on in nuclear skills with only one nuclear research reactor (located at the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation in Sydney) and no nuclear power or nuclear ship reactors.

One of Australia’s few nuclear engineering academics, UNSW’s Edward Obbard, said that, based his analysis of the US nuclear submarine fleet and workforce, each Australian submarine would need 27 highly-trained top tier nuclear engineers with PhDs and at least 20 years experience, backed by 330 middle tier people with a PhD, masters or honours degree in the field and at least 10 years experience.

This means it is already too late to begin training people for the first Virginia class nuclear submarine which will be bought from the US and due to arrive in 2032.

Initially Australia will be highly reliant on US and UK expertise for the submarine program but in the long term, for a fleet of eight boats, 215 top tier specialists will be needed, backed by 2635 in the mid tier.

But thousands of other jobs will require university qualifications ranging from courses to train workers in submarine construction and maintenance in nuclear safety, to degrees in nuclear law, and nuclear regulation issues.

University peak body Universities Australia said most of the 20,000 jobs expected to be created by the AUKUS submarine program will require university qualifications.

“We’ve been in close discussion with our government, including through the Defence Strategic Review, and AUKUS partner governments at the highest levels, on how universities can boost the flow of highly educated workers needed to boost our capability in the interests of all,” said Universities Australia CEO Catriona Jackson.

“One way we can do this is by offering more internships and work-integrated learning opportunities for students studying in areas of defence need, here and abroad.”