Australia’s leading naval shipbuilding employers have signed a landmark Industry Strategic Workforce Plan that boosts Australia’s capability to continuously design, build, integrate and sustain its naval fleet.
The Australian Government’s long term strategic plan and $90 billion investment in the nation’s naval shipbuilding industry has been the catalyst for this unprecedented collaboration.
The Plan has been implemented following ongoing collaboration between the Naval Shipbuilding College and five naval shipbuilding Primes – ASC, BAE Systems Australia/ASC Shipbuilding, Lockheed Martin Australia, Luerssen Australia, Naval Group Australia and SAAB Australia.
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,” Mr Irving said.
“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.”
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 ground breaking 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.
“The initiative is critical to successfully building, integrating and sustaining a national shipbuilding workforce for the future and betterment of Australia,” said the Naval Shipbuilding Primes.
“Our collaborative partnership engenders an enterprise approach, ensuring the success of a highly capable national maritime 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.
