South Australia is leading the nation in its approach to paid education pathways with the creation of a second Degree Apprenticeship program.

The South Australian Skills Commission has formally declared the degree apprenticeship pathway for mechanical engineering, which will be tailored to support students into promising defence industry careers.

Flinders University has partnered with defence industry primes ASC Pty Ltd and BAE Systems Australia to welcome a cohort of degree apprentices from early 2025.

It allows students to undertake paid apprenticeships with global companies while still undertaking their university degree. It means they can earn while they learn and get a head-start on the career into an in-demand sector.

It follows a pilot Degree Apprenticeship program established with the University of South Australia, which commenced earlier this year with an initial cohort of 13 students combining a software engineering qualification with paid industry placements at host businesses like BAE Systems, ASC and Consunet.

New Degree Apprenticeship pilot programs will be supported by an additional $2.5 million in joint South Australian and Federal Government funding, as a key commitment of the SA Defence Industry Workforce and Skills Action Plan.

Over the next four years, eligible universities registered in South Australia can apply to establish and deliver degree apprenticeship pilot programs aligned to defence industry workforce needs.

Degree apprenticeships combine higher education degrees with paid industry experience, enabling students to secure their place in one of more than 11,000 defence industry roles required in South Australia over the next 20 years.

For more information visit statedevelopment.sa.gov.au

Quotes

Attributable to Susan Close

In response to the major defence projects we’ve been entrusted to deliver, South Australia is embarking on a period of significant workforce and skills development.

This is a capability uplift of unprecedented scale.

The establishment of degree apprenticeships is just one way the South Australian Government is matching local jobseekers and school leavers with the thousands of defence industry career opportunities coming online.

Attributable to Blair Boyer

A job in South Australia’s defence industry requires a mix of hands-on skills and theoretical knowledge – making a degree apprenticeship the perfect model to transform entry-level jobseekers into highly capable employees.

We are leading the nation in ensuring young people have opportunities that will lead to well-paying in-demand careers.

The Malinauskas Labor Government is proud to be building an agile skills system, able to quickly respond and forge accessible career pathways into areas of growing industry demand.

Attributable to Cameron Baker, South Australian Skills Commissioner

The South Australian Skills Commission is pleased to see this degree apprenticeship commencing in 2025, and for SA to be leading the nation with this approach in connecting VET and higher education pathways.

We are supportive of how the model is being developed in South Australia and how it could be applied to other industries and disciplines, where on-the job learning while studying at university could fast-track the development of work-ready university graduates.

The South Australian Skills Commission is committed to developing an agile, industry aligned skills system that meets skills and workforce needs and enables careers in our growing industries.

Attributable to Flinders University Vice-Chancellor, Professor Colin Stirling

No longer are trades at odds with a degree, thanks to our visionary approach to knowledge development which will bridge the blue- and white-collar divide.

Our trailblazing Degree Apprenticeship in Engineering – one of the state’s most in demand fields – will enable student apprentices to emerge with degree level qualifications in addition to practical skills.

It will support jobs growth by tackling pressing skills shortages and be a blueprint for a new generation of engineering studies nationally.

Attributable to BAE Systems Australia Chief People Officer Angela Wiggins

Our national workforce of more than 6,300 is growing. We are working closely with the South Australian Government and our education partners on innovative approaches to meet our workforce needs.

This degree apprenticeship program is a world-class example of industry, the education sector and government working together for the benefit of Australia.

Of the 2600 engineers we employ, more than 370 are mechanical engineers. When they graduate, these apprentices will have experience and a degree in a high demand skill area.

Attributable to ASC Pty Ltd Managing Director CEO Stuart Whiley

Young South Australians now have an incredible opportunity to earn while they learn in advanced technology jobs.

As the Australian Government’s Sovereign Submarine Partner for nuclear powered submarine sustainment and joint partner the AUKUS SSN build, ASC Pty Ltd is proud to contribute to the expansion of the Degree Apprenticeships model in South Australia in partnership with Flinders University and BAE Systems Australia.

The SSN-AUKUS program is the biggest defence industrial undertaking in our history and requires the adoption of innovative education models for rapidly expanding and upskilling our engineering workforce.

Attributable to Jan Irvine, General manager South Australia, Engineers Australia

Engineers Australia supports innovative degree structures that create diverse pathways, integrating industry needs with learning opportunities.

By enabling students to earn while they learn, we empower them to kickstart their careers in high-demand sectors—giving both students and industries a head-start on success.