SOUTH AUSTRALIAPARTNERSHIPS FOR SKILLING THE DEFENCE WORKFORCE

South Australia is Australia’s Defence State, with billions of dollars of defence projects underway and in the pipeline, generating a range of job opportunities. In particular, future defence programs based in South Australia will result in a surge in demand for highly-skilled professionals in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) disciplines.

South Australia has a long history of success in supporting major defence projects, and the state government is working with Defence, industry and educational institutions to ensure a pipeline of skilled people to deliver these projects. This will be achieved by attracting new people into the sector, retaining and upskill existing workers, and attracting and re-skilling workers transitioning from other sectors.

We are also acutely aware that the skills requirement for Defence programs will require a collaborative approach across the country. South Australia’s Premier has written to the Prime Minister to express this need for a national approach to skills and our willingness to play an integral role in this.

This commitment to a skilled workforce to deliver defence projects is underpinned by a range of state government policies and initiatives including:

• the industry-led Defence Industry South Australia Workforce Strategy 2014–2020 – South Australia’s defence skills roadmap

• A Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Skills Strategy for South Australia – which aims to lift the number and qualifications of people with skills in these areas

• WorkReady – People, Industry, Jobs – designed to build a skilled, capable and ready workforce able to fill current and emerging job opportunities

• the onsite Maritime Skills Centre at Techport Australia, delivering trade and technical skills required for the Air Warfare Destroyer and future naval projects

In addition to this, the South Australian Government, through the Department of State Development, has recently commissioned a study to analyse the state’s current defence industry workforce. The study will provide a clear picture of South Australia’s existing capabilities and recommendations on how to address any potential gaps.

South Australia’s universities work closely with the defence sector and are highly responsive to industry needs. Previously, they have established tailored graduate and postgraduate programs to meet demand for skills in marine engineering, naval architecture, maritime electronics, defence signal information processing, and military systems integration and support.

The state government, and our universities, welcome early and close engagement with defence industry to deliver programs which will meet future skills requirements.

MESSAGE FROM THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE

Front cover images courtesy of Professor Andre Luiten, Institute for Photonics and Advances Sensing www.adelaide.edu.au/ipas

Andy Keough Chief Executive, Defence SA

South Australia has a justifiably strong reputation as Australia’s ‘Defence State’ based on its long history as a supportive host to a significant share of the country’s military, naval, aerospace and related design, development and manufacturing industry – including BAE Systems, SAAB Systems, ASC, Raytheon, Babcock, Lockheed Martin – and of course now DCNS – amongst many others.

Such companies acknowledge that the presence in South Australia of three public universities with education and research strengths relevant to their businesses is a critical element in their success: supplying the high-value skilled workforce and many of the technical breakthroughs that drive sustainability and innovation for Australia’s defence materiel.

The University of South Australia, The University of Adelaide and Flinders University all have a long and successful history of collaboration with defence sector companies and with the Australian Government Defence Science and Technology Group, including partnership over design and delivery of bachelor, graduate and research programs across engineering, electronics, systems integration, materials science, telecommunications, cyberscience, project management and many other relevant disciplines.

The three South Australian universities are committed to working together and with Defence SA to strengthen and deepen their partnerships with the defence sector; and to ensuring their capabilities are focused on the skills requirements of the defence industries as they deliver the ten defence development and sustainment projects of significant scale recently signed off by the Commonwealth.

MESSAGE FROM THE VICE-CHANCELLORS

Professor David Lloyd Vice Chancellor and President, University of South Australia

Colin J Stirling Vice Chancellor, Flinders University

Professor Warren Bebbington Vice Chancellor and President, University of Adelaide

South Australia stands ready to meet the challenge of supporting these major defence programs through a pipeline of science, technology, engineering and mathematics courses and initiatives for skilling, re-skilling and up-skilling the defence workforce.

South Australia currently produces around 2000 university graduates a year with bachelor’s degrees in the fields of engineering, information technology and physical and natural sciences. South Australian universities welcome early engagement from the defence sector to shape relevant courses and produce the number of graduates to meet defence priorities and demand.

In addition to defence-relevant foundational science, technology, engineering and mathematics undergraduate degrees, South Australia is home to a suite of defence-specific courses and initiatives across South Australian schools, vocational education and training institutions and universities.

SOUTH AUSTRALIA RECOGNISES THE SIGNIFICANT SCALE OF MAJOR UPCOMING DEFENCE PROJECTS. THE FUTURE SUBMARINES, FUTURE FRIGATES, OFFSHORE PATROL VESSELS, LAND 400 AND AIR 7000 PROGRAMS, AMONGST OTHERS, WILL CREATE DEMAND FOR A HIGHLY-SKILLED PROFESSIONAL AUSTRALIAN WORKFORCE.

SCHOOLS

INTRODUCING SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS TO DEFENCE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

UNDERGRADUATE

CREATING PATHWAYS TO DEFENCE SECTOR CAREERS FOR HIGH-ACHIEVING STUDENTS

POSTGRADUATE

SPECIALIST COURSES AND INITIATIVES TAILORED TO DEFENCE SECTOR PRIORITIES

Advanced Technology Industry-School Pathways Program (ATP) (Australian Government)

Defence Engineering Internship Program (Australian Government)

Masters in Military Systems Integration (UniSA)

Maritime High School of South Australia at Le Fevre High School (in partnership with the Air Warfare Destroyer Alliance)

Defence Honours Scholarship Program (South Australian Government)

Master of Marine Engineering (University of Adelaide)

Defence Industry Schools Program - The Heights School (South Australian Government)

Defence and STEM Internship Program (South Australian Government)

Master of Sciences (Defence Signal Processing) (University of Adelaide)

Defence Industry Pathways Program (in partnership with TAFE SA, and AWD Alliance)

Bachelor of Engineering (Naval Architecture) (Flinders University/Australian Maritime College)

Master of Sciences (Defence) (University of Adelaide)

Engineers in the Classroom Program (Lockheed Martin Australia)

Associate Degrees in Electrical Engineering and Electronics Engineering – pathway to University courses (TAFE SA)

SUBS in Schools™ Program (Re-Engineering Australia in partnership with industry and the Australian Government)

South Australia welcomes early engagement with the defence sector to identify future workforce needs. South Australian institutions are prepared and experienced in shaping courses to suit defence priorities, and to produce the quality and quantity of graduates and postgraduates required to satisfy defence sector demand.

Defence and national security represents a major research and teaching focus for Flinders University.

This includes work such as autonomous underwater vehicles and intelligence analysis techniques through to new robotics and maritime electronics.

Flinders offers a suite of defence-relevant undergraduate and postgraduate courses across the university, including the Bachelor of Engineering (Maritime), offered in collaboration with the Australian Maritime College in Tasmania and the Bachelor of Information Technology (Network and Cybersecurity Systems).

Flinders University places a strong emphasis on industry partnerships, which has led to strong internship/work placement programs for our students.

Flinders University’s strengths:

• Naval architecture

• Maritime engineering

• Autonomous underwater systems

• Robotics

• Energetic materials

• Nanoscale science and technology

• Cyber security

• Simulation

• Network and Cybersecurity Systems

Flinders University supports students and researchers to utilise their skills in defence industry: The Australian Research Council’s (ARC) Research Training Centre for Naval Design and Manufacturing (RTCNDM) is a University-Industry partnership established under the Australian Research Council Industry Transformation grant scheme. It is a collaborative effort between the University of Tasmania, the University of Wollongong and Flinders University combined with six industry partners: ASC Pty Ltd, Babcock Pty Ltd, Thales Australia Ltd, PMB Defence Engineering Pty Ltd, Serco Defence and Austal and two government partners: Defence Science and Technology Group and Defence Materials Technology Centre.

Flinders University’s participation in the RTCNDM is transforming Australia’s naval manufacturing industry by:

• Training a new cohort of industry-focused, high-level and broadly-skilled engineers and engineering researchers.

• Creating a new network of engineering researchers across industry, universities and government to enable the Australian naval manufacturing industry to evolve and innovate more rapidly.

• Solving key problems that are currently restricting the efficient design, construction and sustainment of naval platforms.

The University of Adelaide has worked extensively with both the Department of Defence and defence industry in a variety of ways including in an advisory capacity, as a research partner, and as an organisation that produces high-quality graduates ready for work in the defence sector.

In addition to undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in science, technology, engineering and mathematics disciplines, defence-specific offerings include:

• Photonics and advanced sensors

• Advanced high power lasers

• Visual analytics and machine learning

• Combat system modelling

• Military communications and networking

• Radar, electronic countermeasures and atmospheric physics

• Military law and ethics

• Cyber security

• Maritime engineering

• Acoustics, vibration and control

• Blast protection for civil structures

• Human performance

• Autonomous systems

• Military and Veterans Health

University of Adelaide develops specialist courses in partnership with defence industry: The Master of Marine Engineering was established at the University of Adelaide in partnership with ASC Pty Ltd and several partner universities in 2006. It is an 18 month (full-time or equivalent part-time) degree. It is designed to allow qualified engineers with some relevant work experience and others with similar qualifications and experience to update their skills in areas relevant to the design, construction and sustainment of naval vessels, particularly submarines. The degree draws upon both foundational engineering sciences subjects and industry-developed design courses to equip graduates with the skills to practice in the specialised high-technology field of naval vessel design and manufacture.

The University of South Australia (UniSA) has the longest-standing relationship with the Defence Science and Technology Group of any Australian university and has developed mature strategic relationships with a number of companies in the defence sector. UniSA seeks to meet the defence industries’ needs to develop and transform Australia’s future workforce, including provision of a full range of undergraduate and postgraduate programs. For example, UniSA’s specialist Master’s in Military Systems Integration has educated generations of defence sector professionals.

University College London (UCL) and UniSA are building a strong defence sector relationship that recognises UCL’s acknowledged world leading strengths in naval architecture and maritime engineering.

UniSA’s defence-related education and research strengths include:

• Master’s in Military Systems Integration

• Bachelors’ and Master’s degrees in Engineering and IT

• Systems Engineering and Integration

• Industrial design relating to warships and submarines

• Data analytics

• Cyber security

• Complex project management

• Material sciences

• Autonomous systems

• Sensors

• Communications and signal processing

• Artificial intelligence

• Human factors and complex systems

• Maritime Engineering (UCL)

• Naval Architecture (UCL)

The University of South Australia is responsive to defence industry’s needs through flexible learning options: The Defence and Systems Institute (DASI) is Australia’s largest provider of research and education in systems engineering for Defence, industry and government agencies. The Military Systems Integration (MSI) Program is the flagship activity of DASI. One of the features of this program is the focus on training participants in contemporary best practice as defined by the initial participants, ASC Pty Ltd, BAE Systems and Saab Systems Pty Ltd in collaboration with DASI contributors.

By offering programs online, DASI provides the defence community with learning options that maximise flexibility, availability and convenience while maintaining a focus on achieving high-quality learning outcomes. Students can apply for entry to the Award Program and progress their learning from a Graduate Certificate, to a Graduate Diploma, and finally to completing the Master of Engineering (Military Systems Integration).

DEFENCE SALevel 4, 151 Pirie St, ADELAIDE SA 5000PO Box 3643, RUNDLE MALL SA 5000T +61 8 8463 7140F +61 8 8463 7150enquiries@defencesa.comwww.defencesa.com

DECEMBER 2016 SP36161