Twenty West Australian school leavers are the inaugural inductees into a new Morrison Government program that is boosting Australia's future maritime workforce.
The Defence Industry Pathways Program will provide people with a range of skills and insights needed to take up the thousands of jobs set to come on stream in Australia's defence industry over the coming decades.
In an early sign of the program's expected popularity, more than 100 young people applied to join it within 90 minutes of its launch in June.
Developed with WA's South Metropolitan TAFE and the state's maritime defence industry, the program is a "taster" course that sets participants on the path to an exciting defence industry career.
Minister for Defence Industry Melissa Price said the program - which welcomed a second cohort of 20 students last week - was helping to deliver the workforce to meet the increasing demand for employees in Australia's shipbuilding industry.
"These West Australians are the next generation of designers, engineers, scientists and technical tradespeople for our defence industry," Minister Price said.
"The Defence Industry Pathways Program gives them a range of career options and an understanding of defence industry before deciding which path they take when they enter the workforce.
"The response to this program has been fantastic. The fact that there were more than 100 applications within the first 90 minutes shows the enthusiasm of young people to explore a future in our exciting defence industry."
The Defence Industry Pathways Program is a 12-month program open to WA school leavers who have completed Year 12, with up to 120 trainees able to benefit over the coming year.
About 50 host employers have signed up to take on the trainees and provide them with industry experience across a range of areas.
They will provide trainees with exposure to a variety of shipbuilding and supply chain organisations throughout their qualification.
The program is providing trainees with pay, work attire and on completion a nationally recognised Certificate III in Defence Industry Pathways through South Metropolitan TAFE.
Defence industry partners will provide supervision, mentoring and on-the-job training.
South Metropolitan TAFE is providing trainees on-campus study to undertake the academic modules of the traineeship.
