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Defence Industry Minister Melissa Price has announced that the Subs in Schools National Final would be hosted in Adelaide with the hopes of revealing the next leaders of Australia’s shipbuilding industry.
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The initiative offers primary and high school students the opportunity to explore their enthusiasm for shipbuilding as well as offering a simplified transition for students who would like to pursue a career in the industry.
As part of the three-day event, 100 of Australia’s keenest students will compete to become national champions in remotely operated vehicle and submarine class disciplines of the event.
Minister Price said it was an opportunity for the current generation of school-goers to try their hand at a number of professions that will shape the defence industry for decades to come.
“A key feature of the program is that students work directly with industry partners in the context of their projects, further increasing the experience that the students take away from the event,” Minister Price said.
“Our education providers have a key role to play in promoting the career opportunities available in the defence industry. Subs in Schools is a fun way to teach students about shipbuilding.”
Federal member for Sturt, James Stevens, said he was pleased a school in his electorate was hosting the event and hoped it highlighted the opportunities available to South Australian students.
“I wish all of the students taking part the very best of luck and hope it encourages some of them to think seriously about a career in the defence industry. Our state has a critical role to play in the delivery of our government’s $90 billion Naval Shipbuilding Plan and will reap the rewards of this record investment for many years to come,” Stevens said.
With the next generation of shipbuilding talent on display, the watchful eyes of industry leaders like Saab, Babcock, BAE Systems Australia and Naval Shipbuilding College will also be in attendance.
The Subs in Schools Technology Challenge is the result of collaboration between REA, the Department of Defence and industry stakeholders including the Australian Submarine Corporation and Saab Australia.
It was conceived in response to the Australian government’s announcement of the $50 billion Future Submarine Program. It is the world’s first-in-class submarine design competition.
REA took the proven framework of the F1 in Schools program – in which industry-standard technology is made available in the classroom. Students develop a wide range of skills from design, engineering and manufacturing to the ‘soft skills’ sought after by industry (project management, teamwork, collaboration, problem solving, communication). We then added the complexities of underwater design, coding and electronics.
Students design either a remotely operated underwater vehicle or a submarine that they must operate. Alternatively, they can build a three-dimensional virtual scale model of living quarters in a futuristic submarine.
The fundamentals of Subs in Schools are equipping young people to take part in the new set of industries being developed as part of the Future Submarine Program.
Stephen Kuper
Steve has an extensive career across government, defence industry and advocacy, having previously worked for cabinet ministers at both Federal and State levels.
