Victoria's AUKUS workforce pipeline benefits Melbourne defence sector

Melbourne has emerged as a significant beneficiary of the federal government's AUKUS workforce development investment, with three universities — the University of Melbourne, Monash University, and RMIT — establishing nuclear engineering programs and advanced maritime defence training courses funded through the Commonwealth's AUKUS Skills and Training Investment Program.

The AUKUS program, which will see Australia build and operate nuclear-powered submarines in partnership with the United States and United Kingdom, requires a workforce pipeline of nuclear engineers, material scientists, systems integrators, and specialised trades that does not currently exist in Australia at the scale required. The federal government has committed $800 million nationally to workforce development, with Victoria receiving approximately $180 million of that total.

Federal Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy said Melbourne's concentration of engineering talent, its existing defence industry base including BAE Systems and Thales Australia's major facilities, and its three world-ranked engineering universities made it the natural home for a significant portion of the AUKUS training investment. "Adelaide builds the submarines. Melbourne builds the people who build the submarines," he said.

The University of Melbourne confirmed its nuclear engineering program, the first in Victoria, had received 340 applications for its inaugural 50-student intake. Nuclear engineering was not previously a offered subject in Australia at undergraduate level. Monash's maritime systems engineering program, which builds on the university's existing aerospace engineering strength, has partnered with BAE Systems Australia on an industry placement component for all students.

Defence industry in Victoria employs approximately 14,000 people directly, a figure the AUKUS program is expected to more than double over the next decade.

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