The program aims to equip the interns with the skills to support a future career in the national defence and security industry.

The new arrivals include students from across the country and from various engineering disciplines as well as project management, commercial, finance and procurement.

Among the cohort are seven First Nations students, onboarded as part of BAE System’s 10-year partnership with CareerTrackers.

The new interns follow 55 graduates and 36 apprentices onboarded over the course of 2021, with more than 200 young Australians now active across BAE Systems’ early careers programs.

BAE Systems chief people officer Danielle Mesa noted the importance of the trainee programs, which she said would support the ongoing development of Australia’s next-generation warfighting capability.

“Advancing the next generation of employees within our business is an important element of our resourcing strategy and I’m delighted that we can provide the interns with a taste of what could be a very exciting, lifelong career within the Australian defence industry,” she said.

“Investing in a future workforce will help ensure that we develop the capability we need to deliver our future defence programs including the Hunter Class frigates, the Jindalee Operational Radar Network and to support the men and women in the Australian Defence Force.”

[Related: BAE Systems Australia expands operations at Newcastle’s Astra Aerolab]