The first shipbuilding apprentices to join the Hunter Class Frigate Programme were welcomed to South Australia’s Osborne Naval Shipyard on Monday (13 July). Eighteen high school students are the first of 1,000 apprentices and graduates who will be employed by BAE Systems Australia’s shipbuilding business, ASC Shipbuilding, over a multi-decade programme to build nine ships for the Royal Australian Navy. The students have been recruited from 10 South Australian schools. A second intake of 22 students will occur later in the year as part of a regular and rolling intake of apprentices each year of the Hunter Class Frigate Programme.
The apprenticeship programme allows students to embark on the training while still completing school. Apprenticeships in steelwork, mechanical, electrical and technical trades will be central to ensure the right breadth and depth of skilled workers are brought into the multi-decade programme. By the time nine anti-submarine warfare frigates are built, it’s estimated that three-quarters of the program workforce, including senior executives, will have started as graduates or apprentices.
ASC Shipbuilding Managing Director Hunter Class Frigate Programme Craig Lockhart said “recruiting our first group of apprentices is an important and significant step for the Hunter Class Frigate Programme. Programmes such as this are important in creating long and rewarding careers in the industry.
“Now more than ever, creating new jobs, especially for young people, is a national priority and we’re pleased to play our part in supporting the nation’s economic recovery. We are committed to building a diverse and skilled workforce in Australia that will underpin an enduring shipbuilding capability, supporting Australia’s continuous naval shipbuilding journey for future generations.”
The apprentices’ intake comes as ASC Shipbuilding undertakes a range of initiatives to develop a sovereign industrial capability for Australia such as providing opportunities for Australian businesses and working closely with the Naval Shipbuilding College in ensuring the entire naval shipbuilding enterprise has the right workers, with the right skills at the right time.
Minister for Defence Industry Melissa Price said “these young men and women are the future of the Australian government’s National Naval Shipbuilding Enterprise and this intake is an important first step for the Hunter Class Frigate Programme. This apprenticeship program complements the work that ASC Shipbuilding is doing with its Diploma of Digital Technology. This is a terrific programme that began earlier this year and which teaches the digital technology skills needed to work on the Hunter class frigates.”
Senator for South Australia and Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment Simon Birmingham said that continuous naval shipbuilding was creating a pipeline of job opportunities for the next generation of South Australians within the defence industry. “These apprenticeships will give young South Australians the opportunity to learn practical skills while completing their education, setting them up for a lifelong career in naval shipbuilding ,” Birmingham said. “Our record investments in naval shipbuilding will see South Australians help to equip our navy with world class capabilities while delivering cutting-edge job opportunities for thousands of South Australians.”
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