Defence and universities partner to build AUKUS nuclear submarines

International defence companies are teaming up with Australia’s tertiary education sector to train tens of thousands of workers required to build sovereign nuclear-powered submarines.

Defence Minister Richard Marles. ​

International defence companies are teaming up with Australia’s tertiary education sector to train tens of thousands of Australian workers required to build sovereign nuclear-powered submarines under the AUKUS pact.

A consortium of universities including the University of Adelaide, Curtin University and the University of NSW have joined forces with defence companies Babcock Australasia and HII to educate thousands of engineers, maritime and nuclear trade workers required to develop a domestic nuclear industry.

The new group – named the AUKUS Workforce Alliance – will help Australia to develop the capability to build nuclear-powered submarines over the next 10 years by following a blueprint used to teach apprentices in the US and Britain.

Babcock Australasia managing director Nick Hine said the new alliance was necessary to deliver the most complex and largest defence agenda in Australia’s history.

Sir Nick, who is a former Royal Navy vice admiral, said Australia would not be able to deliver on AUKUS if it did not rapidly expand its workforce both “at scale and at pace”.

“AUKUS is a singular, once-in-a-generation opportunity which will be driven by the skill base on which it sits. This is an Australian sovereign conversation and the skilled base is necessary,” Sir Nick said.

“The scale of this will be unparalleled and we believe that a consortium … working to support the Australian government is the way to deliver the skills and volume and type of work that is necessary for this endeavour.”

The Australian Shipbuilding Federation of Unions has previously questioned where the thousands of workers needed to build the AUKUS submarines will come from.

Australia’s current submarine manufacturing workforce sits at about 1200, but those workers, at Adelaide-based ASC, are required for Collins-class maintenance and 10-year life-extending upgrades of the navy’s six conventional submarines.

The government is seeking to build a nuclear navy from scratch, with official estimates suggesting the endeavour will support up to 8500 direct jobs in the building and maintenance of the submarines including scientists, engineers, project managers, technicians, construction workers, electricians, and metal fitters.

It comes as the Albanese government overhauls the nation’s siloed tertiary education sector to deliver the nation’s AUKUS workforce under a new hybrid training blueprint bringing together universities and TAFEs.

Skills and Training Minister Brendan O’Connor is working with the states and territories on the new training model, which will be baked into the next five-year national skills agreement to be finalised for the start of 2024.

HII nuclear president Michael Lempke said the company was bringing more than 60 years of nuclear shipbuilding expertise to the project, adding that it would build on Australia’s existing industrial base.

He said there was “no question this is going to be difficult” but that it was essential given the changing geopolitical landscape in the region.

“If you think about the reasons for AUKUS and the geopolitical landscape, this is a once-in-a-generation responsibility and will have three strong partners. We are going to do it together.”

Ultimately, the government expects the endeavour will support about 20,000 direct jobs over the next 30 years across industry, the Australian Defence Force and the Australian Public Service.