South Australia’s Skills Academy Hits Major Milestone
The Albanese Government is investing $480 million in our naval shipbuilding and submarine construction workforce with the build of the Skills and Training Academy at Osborne in South Australia.
When we announced the AUKUS Pathway in March 2023, the Albanese and Malinauskas 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 South 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 deep experience of our partners, ensuring training aligns with industry requirements.
The Skills and Training Academy Campus is a core pillar of the Albanese 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.
This builds on work already underway between the Albanese and Malinauskas Governments to grow, train and retain a high-skilled workforce in South Australia now and for decades to come. The Commonwealth-South Australian Defence Industry Workforce and Skills Report and Action Plan is well underway, with over 20 initiatives being implemented, including:
Growing this workforce will be critical to building our defence future, one that is made right here in South Australia.
Quotes attributable to Deputy Prime Minister, Richard Marles:
“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.
“As the training ground for our AUKUS submarines and shipbuilding workforce, this $480 million investment from the Albanese Government is about ensuring we have the skills for a future made in Australia.
“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.”
Quotes attributable to Premier of South Australia, Peter Malinauskas:
“Developing the skills needed to deliver Adelaide-built nuclear-powered submarines is both the biggest opportunity, and biggest risk of AUKUS.
“This is an incredible opportunity for young South Australians to learn highly technical hands-on skills which will lead them into high quality careers that will last for lifetimes.
“We’ve seen at Barrow-in-Furness in the UK just how successfully a Skills and Training Academy can operate, and we’ll need to replicate that effort here.
“I want to thank the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister for their thorough and decisive approach in ensuring this Academy can be delivered at Osborne so we can get on with the task of building the workforce to build these submarines.”
Quotes attributable to Minister for Defence Industry and Capability Delivery, Pat Conroy:
“The Albanese Government is building world class shipyards and delivering on continuous shipbuilding that will create thousands of well-paid jobs for decades to come.
“This initiative is critical if we are to have the workforce required to deliver the capabilities needed to safeguard the nation. This about making Australians safer while providing financial security for thousands of South Australians.”
https://www.minister.defence.gov.au/media-releases/2025-03-05/major-milestone-south-australias-skills-and-training-academy