High School Students
There has never been a better time to consider a career in one of South Australia’s fastest growing industries. There are a range of pathways to find your defence industry career. TAFE SA and South Australia’s three leading universities are great places to start when it comes to getting the qualifications you need.
If you aren’t sure exactly what career will best suit you, the Australian Government’s My Skills website can help you find out what skills and jobs are in demand across the defence industry and what training you need to complete to find your place.
UniSA offers a full range of Bachelor, Master and PhD degree programs that help students get ready for work in the defence industry, from aviation to engineering and project management.
Adelaide University offers a range of degree programs that will put you on the fast-track to launch a career in defence, cyber security or Australia’s thriving space sector. The University of Adelaide’s new Bachelor of Technology in Defence Industry is a great way to gain a broad understanding of the foundations of technology, including computing, information, mathematics. Adelaide University also offer Defence Systems majors within five of their core engineering disciplines, which could lead to an innovative career in areas such as visual and situational awareness systems; military communications and networking; radar and electronic countermeasures; cybersecurity; marine engineering; and autonomous systems.
The University of Adelaide’s STEM Academy is an outreach program for students in Years 8-12 who are passionate about science, technology, engineering, and maths. The academy aims to show students how to turn their passion for STEM into a career.
Partnering with the defence industry to deliver world-class research and education, Flinders offers a huge range of defence and national security courses.
Flinders is the first Australian University to be endorsed by the Naval Shipbuilding College, with Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) – Mechanical, Electrical & Electronic, Robotics, Software, Maritime or Bachelor of Information Technology (Networks & Cybersecurity Systems).
At Flinders, students have the opportunity to apply for international internships and work with major defence companies such as BAE Systems, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Boeing Defence, Naval Group, Thales, Defence Science and Technology Group and ASC.
Skilling South Australia is helping more people get skills and qualifications to build lasting careers and meet the needs of industry. A $200 million investment is providing young South Australians with a range of pathways to secure the jobs of the future. Skilling South Australia assists in providing Equipped for Work Payments, Travel and Accommodation Allowances, Learner Support Services, Flexible and Subsidised Apprenticeships and much more.
Microsoft Australia has launched the Microsoft Traineeship Program, designed to support budding technology/IT professionals to take the first step in their career. Together with MEGT, you will have the chance to gain paid on the job experience, a Certificate IV in Information Technology delivered by TAFE, industry recognised certifications and more.
The Naval Shipbuilding College has developed an introductory course on naval shipbuilding in Australia. This course will provide you with an overview of the exciting work happening across Australia and the many career opportunities this work will provide.
If you are interested in naval shipbuilding, a great place to start is to register with the Naval Shipbuilding College’s workforce register. The Naval Shipbuilding College will put you in touch with a consultant who can match your experience with an education/training pathway to employment.
You can also register for the Naval Shipbuilding Future webinar series, which provides the latest information on the shipbuilding industry and how to become a part of it.
The TAFE SA defence and shipbuilding careers page offers a wealth of information about what job opportunities can arise from their comprehensive list of relevant courses.
TAFE SA offers a Diploma of Engineering (Technical) for use in the naval shipbuilding industry, Find out how the skills and knowledge from the Diploma can be applied to the industry.
TAFE SA is also an accredited training partner of the Naval Shipbuilding College for the welding component of the Certificate III in Engineering – Fabrication Trade.
TAFE SA’s new Advanced Welder Training Centre is now delivering training following the installation of 12 welding simulators, which are the most advanced simulators of their kind in the world. The new simulators will ensure that local welders are ready to respond to the increased demand for their skills as part of the naval shipbuilding program and in advanced manufacturing.
A career in Defence can be with the Australian Defence Force or working with the Department of Defence as a Public Servant.
As a Public Servant in the Department of Defence your career is limitless. The workforce is incredibly varied and includes intelligence analysts, engineers, policy advisors, IT specialists, graphic designers, social workers, lawyers, accountants and administrative support.
In the Australian Defence Force you can choose from over 200 roles across a wide range of specialist military positions, support roles, traditional and technical trades, and professions that range from medicine to engineering.
You can apply your unique background and experiences in many different ways with a career in Defence.
Discover where you best fit and find out what Defence has to offer by undertaking work experience. The Defence Work Experience Program provides young Australians interested in Defence as a future career, the opportunity to sample life in Defence and learn more about the Australian Defence Force (ADF) and the Australian Public Service (APS).
The Fourth Industrial Revolution (Industry 4.0) has created opportunities for tech-savvy school leavers to launch an in-demand career. Connection of the physical and digital worlds is transforming Australian industry and business leaders are seeking out the talent to help drive this change.
The Digital Engineering Apprenticeship program seeks out passionate, technically minded school leavers to partner with top-tier businesses in a three-year paid-to-learn training model. Learners will graduate with the nationally accredited Diploma of Applied Technologies and become digital specialists in the nation’s
leading engineering teams.
If you are currently in Year 12 and have a passion for digital technologies, automation, cloud computing, big data, cyber-physical systems, 3D printing or digitalisation, register your interest now.
