- Cook Labor Government investing $3 million to expand career taster program for defence industry
- Will focus on STEM fields in high demand including engineering and trades
- In 2025 Career Taster Program reached over 50 per cent of year 9 cohort
- Cook Labor Government putting WA first by creating quality jobs for Western Australians
The Cook Labor Government is delivering $3 million to expand the Career Taster Program (CTP) to include more opportunities for students to experience the defence industries sector.
The CTP provides opportunities for year 9 students to participate in practical programs across different industries to help them make informed decisions about post-school career opportunities.
The expanded defence industries program will focus on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields in high demand – including engineering, trades, digital and ICT, and program management – and provide practical support to help students build skills.
Running over 12 months, the expansion will include virtual and in-person activities such as in-school events and online engagement, personalised skills assessments, career matching, learning and development for job-readiness, interactive e-learning modules, mentorship with industry professionals, connections with defence primes, virtual work experience, and career events with defence industry employers.
It will build on a similar program that successfully runs in South Australia.
The CTP has been running in Western Australia since 2022 and in 2025 reached over 50 per cent of the Western Australian year 9 cohort or about 18,375 students.
As the program has evolved, other secondary students have benefited from the CTP, with more than 8,100 secondary students from other years taking part in a CTP activity in 2025.
Since 2022 more than 62,000 year 9 students have participated in career exploration activities in priority industries such as building and construction, clean energy, advanced manufacturing, tourism and hospitality, and the care sector.
As stated by Skills and TAFE Minister Amber-Jade Sanderson:
“There are so many amazing career opportunities in Western Australia, and we want school students to be able to test them out and see what suits them best.
“We already have career taster programs for occupations crucial to the building and construction and clean energy sectors, and expanding more opportunities in defence industries will be another chance for students to see if this is the field they see their future in.
“With major defence industry projects coming online over the next decade, there will be thousands of well paid, good local jobs for Western Australians to take up.”
As stated by Education Minister Sabine Winton:
“Helping students explore different careers while they are still at school gives them a clearer sense of where their interests and strengths could take them in the future.
“This expansion will give more year 9 students practical exposure to defence industry careers, and the chance to learn about the skills and qualifications needed to pursue them.
“By connecting classroom learning with real-world opportunities, our government is helping students build pathways into careers in high-demand industries.”
