Babcock Australasia (Babcock) will offer valuable guidance on the variety of career opportunities available to South Australia’s future defence workforce, as part of an innovative new employment pathways program.
Forge Your Future, created by Australian tech companies WithYouWithMe and Year13, addresses critical skill shortages in the defence industry. The program equips school students with essential tools, connections, education, and direct industry experience to prepare them for advanced STEM roles within leading defence companies.
Babcock will contribute to the program by providing mentorship, work experience placements, site tours, and practical support. These efforts will give students meaningful exposure to high-demand STEM disciplines, including engineering, trades, digital and ICT, and program management.
Around 2,500 secondary students across South Australia will participate in Forge Your Future over the next 12 months. In addition, more than 1,300 schools nationwide will have access to the program via Year 13’s Career Tools platform.
Quotes attributed to Babcock Australasia CEO Andrew Cridland
“We are delighted to partner with WithYouWithMe and Year13 on the Forge Your Future initiative, which aims to bridge the skills gap in Australia’s shipbuilding and submarine industries.”
“Babcock’s purpose is to create a safe and secure world, together. By providing mentorship opportunities and real-world experience to the workforce of tomorrow, we are not only securing the nation’s defence capabilities into the future but also igniting a passion for STEM careers amongst young Australians.”
“This is another example of Babcock’s investment in workforce development, alongside our ongoing support of The University of Adelaide’s Women in STEM Careers program and the AUKUS Workforce Alliance – a talent attraction partnership with HII and three of Australia’s leading universities.”
Quotes attributable to WithYouWithMe CEO Tom Larter
“The defence industry is rich with career opportunities. Forge Your Future removes the guesswork by connecting students with the right training and employers so they can land work in a fast growing and meaningful sector.”
Quotes attributable to Year13 Co-Founder Will Stubley
“Forge Your Future is about connecting young Australians with opportunities in South Australia’s booming defence sector but in a side of the industry many students are not very well aware of compared to the defence force.”
“By aligning their skills and interests with pathways in shipbuilding and advanced technologies of defence we’re helping them discover a future that can both support them and their country in the years ahead. Through this initiative we’re ensuring that young people today are informed and ready to take on our nation’s greatest projects like the ones being worked on in South Australia.”