Thales Australia has hired 20 new apprentices and trainees – a record number for the company – at its Garden Island dockyard during the past year.
In 2011, the defence systems company helped nine apprentices and trainees enter the industry, and is on-track to more than double that this year.
The 2012 apprentices were hired at Thales’ naval ship repair and maintenance facility.
Thales is an advocate of providing skills training to secure the next generation of manufacturers, engineers and technicians.
“We are very proud of the support role we play to the Royal Australian Navy at the Garden Island facility,” said CEO, Chris Jenkins.
“Successfully sustaining the ships based at Garden Island requires constant training to build the skills of our workforce and ensure we have skilled employees training for the future.
“A broad range of skills are covered by the 20 new apprentices and trainees we have taken on this year, including various trades, weapons repair, technicians and electronics.
“These are advanced and specialised skill sets essential for the sustainment of the Navy’s east coast fleet.”
Thales defence systems manufacturing business this week unveiled a new, ‘rapidly-deployable’ Fibre Laser Sensor (FLS) that uses sonar technology to improve underwater surveillance capabilities for marine defence vehicles.
The sea-bed surveillance array is on-show in Sydney as part of the Pacific 2012 International Maritime Exposition this week.
The FLS array can be dropped from a Rigid Hull Inflatable Boat (RHIB) and almost immediately provide an underwater surveillance capability, says Thales.
[Image: Defence.gov.au]