Agreement on School Pathways Programmes for South Australia and Western Australia

The Minister for Defence Industry, the Hon Christopher Pyne MP, today announced the three year continuation of the School Pathways Programme in South Australia and Western Australia. The programme is one of the Department of Defence’s key defence industry skilling and Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) initiatives.

Minister Pyne said the programme has been funded by Defence in South Australia since 2009 and Western Australia since 2010.

“The School Pathways Programme provides students and teachers with opportunities to enhance STEM capability and enterprise skills relevant to a career in defence industry, and increases engagement and participation in STEM subjects,” Minister Pyne said.

“The Government is supporting a range of skilling and STEM initiatives to address industry capacity and capability gaps, and boost the pool of STEM skills within Australian defence industry. 

The School Pathways Programme also helps to increase the pool of young people ready to move from school into further education, apprenticeships, internships, scholarships and part-time work/study combinations, providing clear pathways into the defence industry sector supporting Defence and broader national security.

“The Government will invest $3.6 million over three years for this Programme in South Australia and Western Australia, helping to raise young peoples’ awareness of defence industry careers and encourage them to consider becoming part of the workforce behind the defence force,” Minister Pyne said. 

“This will be also help support the development of a skilled workforce for the delivery of the continuous naval shipbuilding program in South Australia and Western Australia.”

“We have to grow and support young Australians to see our defence industry as a rewarding long-term career.”

The School Pathways Programme also complements the Turnbull Government’s Pathways in Technology (P-Tech) pilot at St Patrick’s Technical College at Edinburgh North that’s focused on defence industry skills and connects schools with local employers to ensure students are learning the skills they need for local jobs.