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The five naval shipbuilding primes have announced a period of a collaboration agreement to deliver the Industry Strategic Workforce Plan with the Naval Shipbuilding College to boost the nation’s sovereign capability to design, build and sustain Australia’s naval capabilities.
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The Naval Shipbuilding College, Naval Group Australia, BAE Systems Australia, ASC, Lürssen Australia, SAAB Australia and Lockheed Martin Australia have come together to develop their Industry Strategic Workforce Plan.
The plan will complement the Morrison government’s comprehensive Australian skilled naval workforce strategy to be released later in the year.
Minister for Defence Industry Melissa Price witnessed the signing of the plan on Tuesday at PACIFIC 2019 and said it was a historic step to ensure industry and government work together to deliver our future naval workforce.
Minister Price said, "This is the first time all the major shipbuilding companies have come together like this and will ensure Australia’s naval shipbuilding and sustainment capability is not only world-leading but is viable for decades to come.
"The plan outlines industry’s commitment to develop Australia’s naval shipbuilding workforce to deliver on our naval shipbuilding programs now and into the future."
$90 billion has been committed to build a strong, sustainable and innovative Australian naval shipbuilding industry to serve Australia’s naval defences, protect our maritime borders and create thousands of new jobs for decades to come.
The Naval Shipbuilding Plan is a national endeavour involving all states and territories and will deliver enduring, long-term benefits for Australia’s naval shipbuilding industry, workforce and national economy for generations to come.
Discover how you can be part of Australia’s history-making Naval Shipbuilding Program:
- 21 Pacific Patrol Boats;
- 12 offshore patrol vessels;
- 9 Hunter Class frigates;
- 12 Attack Class submarines;
- Modern shipyard infrastructure including advanced manufacturing, R&D and engineering facilities; and
- Innovative industrial capabilities and practices.
Chief executive of the Naval Shipbuilding College Ian Irving said it details the national Naval Shipbuilding Enterprise’s pledge to work together to develop and retain a skilled workforce.
"Industry recognises it is stronger and will be more successful when operating collaboratively, in terms of workforce development in Australia. It is very much a case of the whole being greater than the sum of its parts. All the companies involved have skin in the game and are committed to working cooperatively to create a sovereign naval shipbuilding workforce capability for Australia for generations to come," Irving said.
The plan outlines the commitment of all signatories to develop a cost-effective Australian naval shipbuilding workforce capable of delivering current and future maritime acquisition and sustainment programs, including the Attack Class, Hunter Class and Arafura Class programs.
This groundbreaking agreement will give employers, from global shipbuilding companies to Australian supply chain and sustainment businesses, confidence they will benefit from their investment in developing and retaining a cost-effective, skilled workforce.
Each industry partner continues to provide the Naval Shipbuilding College with workforce demand and skill set data. This will provide industry demand profiles outlining the needs of industry throughout the life of each program.
This insight will enable the Naval Shipbuilding College to develop and implement supply solutions for each priority skills area.
As competition in the market continues to intensify, the Naval Shipbuilding College and industry will strengthen their engagement with training and education providers in every state and territory to help promote naval shipbuilding skills growth and assist vocational and tertiary sectors to respond to the rapid pace of changing technology across the industry.
It also reinforces industry’s commitment to strengthen ties with adjacent industries, such as oil and gas and aerospace, which require similarly skilled workers and to increase the diversity and inclusion of under-represented groups within naval shipbuilding.
