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The prime has teamed up with an education provider to support its push for the Commonwealth government’s JP 9102 contract.
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Lockheed Martin Australia has announced a new partnership with STEM Punks — an Australian science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education provider.
The collaboration forms part of the company’s JP9102 bid to deliver a next-generation, sovereign military satellite communication (MILSATCOM) capability to the Australian Defence Force.
STEM Punks has been tasked with developing and implementing a 10-year space-focused curriculum, designed for high school, university, and early-career level activities.
This aims to educate, up-skill, and build Australia’s next-generation technical workforce to support Commonwealth government space projects, like JP 9102.
The education program, based on a hybrid delivery model, is expected to incorporate both immersive online modules and face-to-face workshops, classes and activities.
Approximately 80 schools across Australia are tipped to be involved over the life of the program, with at least a quarter representing regional and Indigenous communities.
David Ball, LMA’s regional director for space, said STEM Punks would reinforce the company’s commitment to develop sovereign space capability.
“Lockheed Martin Australia is very proud to be partnering with STEM Punks, an innovative Australian organisation operating at that critical interface between the education sector and Australian industry,” he said.
“STEM Punks’ hands-on approach to teaching and learning, its experience developing world-class educational programs, and its access through LMA into Australian space industry combine to ensure a rich pipeline of talent that will be critical to Australia’s future in space.”
Lockheed Martin Australia is currently working with STEM Punks to define requirements for a national Space Industry STEM program at the tertiary level, designed to facilitate career opportunities for university students.
STEM Punks is also expected to design a knowledge program for industry mentoring and skilling at the vocational level, providing professional development to individuals and groups from within Australia’s space sector and adjacent industries.
STEM Punks CEO and co-founder Michael Holmstrom welcomed the opportunity to work alongside Lockheed Martin Australia.
“We are genuinely excited to have the opportunity to partner with Lockheed Martin Australia on this critical pursuit which,” Holmstrom said.
“The program will inspire school students to pursue STEM-focused studies at university, and better align graduates with dynamic career opportunities in Australia’s space and defence industries.
“When you consider Lockheed Martin’s global workforce includes some 60,000 engineers and scientists, the knowledge sharing opportunities this partnership represents for students are almost endless, creating national benefits in terms of successful careers and a stronger, more resilient Australian industry capability.”
STEM Punks is the latest organisation to join the prime’s bid for JP 9102, following the likes of Shoal Group, Av-Comm, Clearbox Systems and Ronson Gears.
The LMA-led team will be competing against a host of other major contractors, including Airbus, Boeing Defence Australia (BDA), and telecommunications giant Optus.
The JP 9102 tender is scheduled to close on 10 January.
[Related: Lockheed Martin Australia bolsters JP 9102 team]
Charbel Kadib
News Editor – Defence and Security, Momentum Media
Prior to joining the defence and aerospace team in 2020, Charbel was news editor of The Adviser and Mortgage Business, where he covered developments in the banking and financial services sector for three years. Charbel has a keen interest in geopolitics and international relations, graduating from the University of Notre Dame with a double major in politics and journalism. Charbel has also completed internships with The Australian Department of Communications and the Arts and public relations agency Fifty Acres.
