The Federal Government is investing $480 million in the naval shipbuilding and submarine construction workforce with the build of the Skills and Training Academy at Osborne in South Australia.
This originates from when the AUKUS Pathway was announced in March 2023, and the Federal and SA Governments agreed to establish a dedicated Skills and Training Academy to deliver the high-tech education and training needed for continuous naval shipbuilding and AUKUS in SA.
“South Australia’s industry will deliver billions of dollars in defence capabilities and thousands of well-paid, high skilled jobs – and the Skills and Training Academy Campus at Osborne is at the centre of this work,” said deputy prime minister, Richard Marles.
“This isn’t just an investment in bricks and mortar – it is also an investment in generations of Australian workers who will be building our submarines, making their contribution to defending our nation and building a career for themselves as part of a future made in Australia.”
Ground works have now commenced at the site for the Skills and Training Academy Campus, which will be designed and delivered by Australian Naval Infrastructure (ANI). Kellogg, Brown and Root, and Architectus have been engaged as design partners.
The design and build will also be supported by Australia’s Sovereign Submarine Build Partners, BAE Systems and ASC Pty Ltd, to draw on the experience of partners.
The Skills and Training Academy Campus is a pillar of the Federal Government’s uplift of Australian infrastructure and industry through AUKUS, which will see $30 billion worth of investment over the coming decades, supporting thousands of well-paid, high skilled jobs.
At its peak, up to 4,000 Australian workers will be employed to design and build the infrastructure for the submarine construction yard at Osborne. A further 4,000‑5,500 direct jobs will be created to build Australia’s conventionally-armed, nuclear‑powered submarines when the program reaches its peak – almost double the workforce forecast for the Attack class program.
The design of the Skills and Training Academy Campus will simulate the submarine construction yard, providing hands-on skills and classroom-based learning. The facility will include trade workshops, state of the art classrooms and a large central submarine mock-up area.
The courses and skills will also support the workforce required to deliver the Hunter class frigate, which will sustain at least 2,000 jobs and create at least 500 new jobs over the next decade.