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Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles has announced that thousands of Australian students will now be able to train at 16 Australian universities through the allocation of thousands of extra Commonwealth-supported places in STEM courses to help grow the skilled workforce required to deliver the AUKUS nuclear-powered submarine pathway.
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This announcement is part of a $128 million investment by the Albanese government to fund the extra university places over four years, beginning in 2024, with these additional places to apply to 38 STEM-related courses, designed to attract more students to train in engineering, mathematics, chemistry and physics.
Students will be eligible to apply and commence their studies for STEM-related courses from the beginning of next year. Of the 4,001 additional places, over 1,000 will be allocated to South Australian universities to support the construction of Australia’s conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarines in Adelaide.
Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles welcomed the news, saying, “The Australians who will help to build and maintain our conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarines are at the heart of this historic, nation-building project.”
Australia’s acquisition of nuclear-powered submarines is a national endeavour and the targeted training to meet the future workforce needs of the submarine program will be vital to supporting this capability.
The 16 Australian Universities participating in the training program are:
- The University of Adelaide - 700 places
- RMIT University - 426 places
- University of Wollongong - 425 places
- University of New South Wales - 340 places
- Flinders University - 330 places
- Curtin University - 320 places
- The University of Queensland - 315 places
- The University of Melbourne - 300 places
- Macquarie University - 190 places
- The University of Newcastle - 140 places
- Western Sydney University - 120 places
- Charles Darwin University - 110 places
- The Australian National University - 108 places
- Charles Sturt University - 71 places
- The University of Western Australia - 56 places
- Murdoch University - 50 places
“AUKUS represents one of the most significant industrial endeavours in our country’s history and the Albanese government is already investing in the young Australians who will make up our future workforce. It is critical we make the investments now to ensure we have the skilled workforce to deliver the nuclear-powered submarine program,” the Deputy Prime Minister added.
As part of the allocation, universities were assessed against the ability of proposed courses to meet the increased demand for advanced technical skills.
Minister for Education Jason Clare expanded on the comments made by the Deputy Prime Minister, saying, “We need more young Australians studying STEM subjects and developing the skills we need for the AUKUS program.”
Other criteria included planned investments to engage quality teachers, the expected level of unmet demand from students, plans to support the expansion of enrolment levels, and initiatives to increase participation of students from under-represented backgrounds.
“These extra 4,001 places are on top of the 20,000 additional Commonwealth supported places already funded by the Albanese government to give more people a crack at going to university,” Minister Clare said.
Flinders University has welcomed the federal government’s decision to allocate 330 Commonwealth-supported places for the Nuclear-Powered Submarines Student Pathways program, which will enable more Flinders students to pursue STEM careers in the emerging nuclear-powered submarines industry.
Flinders University’s vice-chancellor, Professor Colin Stirling, said the Commonwealth’s investment of over $28 million in Flinders places was recognition of the University’s leadership and innovation in AUKUS education and research and a coup for South Australia’s burgeoning workforce development and shipbuilding capacity.
“Flinders is proud to be at the forefront of developing Australia’s AUKUS capability and workforce and is ready to support the nuclear-powered submarine program through an expansion of our teaching, research, and innovation programs. Our university AUKUS with the University of Rhode Island and The University of Manchester uniquely positions Flinders to enhance research and education activities in nuclear science and technology, and to facilitate student and staff mobility and exchange," Professor Stirling said.
