100TH SKILLING AGREEMENT SIGNED

The Minister for Defence, the Hon. Joel Fitzgibbon MP, today announced that CAE Australia Pty Ltd had become the 100th company to sign an agreement under the Skilling Australia’s Defence Industry (SADI) Programme.

The Minister made the announcement following his visit to the Maritime Skills Centre at Techport, South Australia, where he spoke with key industry representatives involved in the Air Warfare Destroyer program about the detail of the Government's 2009 Defence White Paper.

The SADI programme shares the responsibility for skills growth and development between defence industry and Government. 

CAE is a leading provider of simulation and modelling technologies to the Australian Defence Force (ADF).

Mr Fitzgibbon said the landmark agreement will see key personnel in CAE undertake Authorised Engineering Organisation training.

“This is a key requirement of the ADF to ensure all engineering work is conducted in accordance with Defence’s stringent requirements,” Mr Fitzgibbon said. 

“I would like to congratulate the Defence Materiel Organisation for all its hard work on the SADI program and for achieving the 100th agreement.”

The Australian Government recently committed over $40 million to the development of skilled resources in the defence industry sector to meet Defence’s future requirements.

“The recent streamlining of SADI processes has resulted in significant interest in the programme with fifty agreements signed in the last six months alone.

 “I encourage all companies doing work for Defence to contact the SADI team to see how the programme can assist them,” Mr Fitzgibbon said. 

The 2009 Defence White Paper reinforces the importance of the SADI program to expand the pool of appropriately skilled workers, enhance work and career pathways in the defence industry sector and address specific defence industry capability and productivity gaps.

Media contacts:

Christian Taubenschlag (Joel Fitzgibbon):             02 6277 7800 or 0438 595 567

Defence Media Liaison:                                           02 6265 3343 or 0408 498 664