Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Education and Training) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Bushby for his question. Senator Bushby, of course, is perhaps one of the best qualified to ask a question on this topic. As, I suspect, the only graduate of a maritime college in this federal parliament, Senator Bushby indeed understands some of these training issues and the opportunities better than almost anybody.

The Turnbull government is very proud to be pursuing Australia's largest ever defence capability investment. As Senator Payne has touched on many times in this chamber, these are significant groundbreaking, changing investments: the $3 billion Offshore Patrol Vessel, the $35 billion Future Frigate Program, the $50 billion SEA1000 Future Submarine Program. All of them, of course, will dramatically enhance our future defence capability, most importantly, but they will also drive defence industry development around Australia and, through that, the creation of many thousands of jobs—an estimated 5,200 jobs over the next 10 years—which will be generated across Australia as a result of these undertakings.

Most critical to the successful delivery of Defence capability and the optimisation of the defence industry potential is, of course, having a skilled workforce in place. That is why we are taking a proactive national approach to naval shipbuilding workforce development and skills. My department, along with the Department of Defence, have been engaging across the country in discussions about how best to do this, and we have announced plans for a $25 million naval shipbuilding college to help coordinate the education and training requirements across the country that will be necessary to deliver the skills that are necessary. This will be an opportunity for all states, and all educational and training institutions who have the right skills, to engage in helping to deliver the workforce that is required for success in the defence industry and to fill those more than 5,000 jobs that we are proudly creating.