The Defence Industry Skills Centre of Excellence (CoE) will provide a ‘front door’ for industry to access training and workforce development solutions to grow Western Australia’s defence industry workforce.
The Defence Industry Skills CoE is a joint initiative between the Australian and Western Australian Governments under the National Skills Agreement(opens in a new tab) .
Establishing the Defence Industry Skills CoE
WA’s defence industry is rapidly expanding.
The establishment of a Defence Precinct at Henderson is set to underpin tens of billions of dollars of Commonwealth Government investment in defence capabilities in WA over the next two decades, which is projected to support 10,000 well-paid and highly-skilled jobs.
To meet this workforce demand, the State and Commonwealth Governments have jointly invested $14.6 million to establish the Defence Industry Skills CoE.
This joint investment will establish WA as the nation’s leader in defence industry workforce development and position the State at the centre of Australia’s sovereign defence capability.
The Defence Industry Skills CoE will lead the design and delivery of training programs for the industry’s emerging skills needs, ensuring the State has a growing pipeline of skilled workers to deliver current and future defence work. It will uplift training opportunities through curriculum innovation, training pathways and programs, and higher apprenticeships to skill, upskill and reskill Western Australians for defence industry roles.
Through delivering innovative training solutions, Defence Industry Skills CoE will develop the most highly educated and skilled defence industry workforce in the world.
Where will the Defence Industry Skills CoE be?
Defence Industry Skills CoE will be led by South Metropolitan TAFE (SM TAFE), having recently been recognised as the nation’s leading defence industry trainer at the 2024 Defence Connect Australian Defence Industry Awards.
Defence Industry Skills CoE will provide industry with a gateway to access training and workforce development support to address their skill requirements.
Industry and the community will have access to Defence Industry Skills CoE services and training opportunities at SM TAFE’s strategically positioned campuses along the Western Trade Coast(opens in a new tab) at Naval Base, Munster, Rockingham and Fremantle.
What does the Defence Industry Skills CoE do?
The Defence Industry Skills CoE has been established to:
- Inspire Western Australians to pursue defence industry careers to successfully undertake crucial defence work that will strengthen Australia’s sovereign defence capability.
- Develop new curriculum, including a nuclear skills framework, higher apprenticeships, industry partnerships for defence projects such as the AUKUS Optimal Pathway and shipbuilding of the Navy’s Surface Combatant Fleet.
- Co-design innovative ‘Train the Trainer’ approaches with industry, TAFE, and universities to train and upskill the VET practitioner workforce with the skills required for nuclear powered submarine sustainment.
- Improve training completions in defence industry qualifications and provide targeted training pathways for women and high-school students.
- Provide intensive learner support and mentoring for priority cohorts, such as Aboriginal students, women, youth and people with disability.
- Address other national priorities including gender equality and closing the gap.
- Collaborate with schools and TEAM WA universities to exchange expertise and enhance study pathways between schools, TAFE, and WA universities into defence industry roles.
- Provide industry with a gateway to access training and workforce development support to address defence industry skill requirements.
- Collaborate with industry, unions, TAFE, universities, DefenceWest, Department of Employment and Workplace Relations, Department of Defence, Royal Australian Navy, Office of Defence Industry Support, AUKUS Skills and Training Academy, and the Australian Submarine Agency and deliver state-of-the-art training courses for the State’s defence industry.
What’s the training priority of the Defence Industry Skills CoE?
To ensure WA’s workforce is equipped to undertake nuclear-powered submarine maintenance and sustainment work and defence shipbuilding, the Defence Industry Skills CoE will develop and deliver AUKUS-specific skills and trades training at SM TAFE’s defence campuses at Naval Base, Munster, Rockingham, and Fremantle as a priority.
What are some of the Defence projects planned?
- Work on the Australian Army’s landing craft is set to begin in Henderson in 2026 and will create approximately 1,100 new jobs. These new jobs are in addition to the ongoing workforce needed to sustain the Collins class submarines.
- The Submarine Rotational Force – West (SRF-West) initiative will see HMAS Stirling at Garden Island host the rotational presence of UK and US nuclear-powered submarines from 2027, which is expected to generate 500 local jobs for Perth’s South Metropolitan Region.
- Work to design, build and sustain the Australian Navy’s new frigates, surface vessels and patrol boats is set to begin within the next decade, creating approximately 1,200 new jobs with businesses located within the Western Trade Coast (Munster to Rockingham).
- Contingency and depot-level submarine maintenance activities at the Defence Precinct are expected to create around 3,000 jobs in Western Australia.
- Further to nuclear-powered submarine sustainment and maintenance work and naval shipbuilding, infrastructure upgrades at HMAS Stirling for SRF-West will also create 3,000 direct jobs.
Why work in the defence industry?
The defence industry offers well-paid and long-lasting jobs in trades, paraprofessional, professional and specialist roles.
Occupations span the fields of engineering, information and communication technology, project management and supply chain.
Within the next two to five years, skilled workers will be needed for key defence projects including SRF-West and Australian Army and Navy shipbuilding, across a variety of fields such as:
- electrical trades;
- mechanical and fabrication trades;
- pipefitter and metrology advanced trades;
- electrical, mechanical, software, and system safety engineering;
- cyber security;
- computer-aided design;
- electronics and communications;
- entry-level nuclear skilled qualified and experienced personnel;
- safety and certification (including nuclear); and
- non-destructive testing.
How the Defence Industry Skills CoE will benefit employers
Defence Industry Skills CoE will collaborate with industry, unions, WA TAFE colleges, universities, government, training providers, Jobs and Skills Councils, and other stakeholders to lead the design and delivery of innovative training programs for the industry’s emerging skills needs.
In addition to developing new curriculum and higher apprenticeships, the Defence Industry Skills CoE will collaborate with schools and TEAM WA universities to exchange expertise and enhance study pathways between TAFE, schools and WA universities into defence industry roles. It will also focus on driving increased participation and completion of defence industry training qualifications and providing intensive learner supports and mentoring, including one-on-one tutoring.
Defence Industry Skills CoE will play a pivotal role in:
- inspiring Western Australians to pursue defence industry careers;
- increasing awareness of training and career pathways for defence industry jobs; and
- promoting the benefits and opportunities of careers within the industry.
Frequently asked questions
Find out more
Get in touch with the Defence Industry Skills CoE team...
T: 08 9239 8099(opens in a new tab)
E: Defence.Industry.Skills@smtafe.wa.edu.au(opens in a new tab)