U.S.-based HII and Australia’s Babcock Australasia are working with top universities to establish the AUKUS Workforce Alliance to develop the workforce needed to strengthen the Australian defense industry.
The AWA, which counts the University of Adelaide, Curtin University and the University of NSW as academe partners, will combine knowledge, skills and experience from Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States to upskill Australian engineering, maritime and nuclear professionals, HII said.
The professional workers’ training will enable them to fully support a nuclear-powered submarine industry that covers infrastructure, sustainment, supply chain and disposal areas.
According to HII, the AWA aims to create an innovative platform for skill and leadership enhancement to develop a sovereign workforce in Australia. It will also implement upskilling programs to exploit the potential of the country’s industrial base.
In addition, the alliance will promote advanced research and development programs for the Australian workforce and provide them with more opportunities to gain practical experience.
In a statement, Babcock Australasia Managing Director Nick Hine said the collaborative effort will equip the workforce with the knowledge and skills required to deliver Australia’s first nuclear-powered submarines.
