School to skill South Australia’s defence workforce

Leading South Australian electronic warfare company DEWC Systems has established the nation’s first school dedicated to training defence technicians in cyber, electronic warfare and undersea warfare.

The school will skill the state’s workforce, enabling more South Australians to take advantage of the jobs on offer as a result of the massive pipeline defence work for decades to come.

The School of Information Operations at Innovation House in Mawson Lakes provides specialised training and workshops to engineers, technicians and Australian Defence Force personnel wanting to upskill and gain employment in the Australian defence industry.

Premier Steven Marshall said the school is critical in building a workforce with the required skills in electronic warfare to meet the needs of the defence industry.

“This is the first technical and operational defence-related school in Australia and will help build our workforce to meet the demands of critical defence projects being undertaken in our state, which are creating jobs for current and future generations,” said the Premier.

“South Australia is embarking on some of the most sophisticated defence projects in the history of our nation, with a $90 billion pipeline of work presenting itself.

“Electronic warfare is a rapidly evolving field and a vital capability for all new submarines, frigates, offshore patrol vessels, and other key projects across Army and Air Force.

“We must develop a stream of highly skilled workers with expertise in electronic warfare to ensure our local businesses are in the best positon to secure work on these projects.”

The School of Information Operations is a collaboration between DEWC and defence and security multinational company Leonardo, and is offering training courses in electronic warfare, cyber, information operations, undersea warfare and communications.

DEWC is also looking to partner with Australian higher education providers to include its courses as part of postgraduate degrees in defence-related studies.

Glenn Murray, CEO of DEWC T&E said the SOIO provides students with the relevant technical, operational and practical skills sought by defence and defence industry.

“We have been working with the South Australian Government through Defence SA, South Australian academic institutes and local defence industry to continue to foster strategic relationships that will contribute to the State’s competitive edge in the defence sector. In collaboration with Leonardo, SOIO will support and develop defence related operational training to support national interests in having a highly skilled and operational focused workforce,” Mr Murray said.

Established in 2011, DEWC has a broad range of experience and expertise in electronic warfare, having worked on -related Australian Defence projects, research, testing and operations with the Army, Navy and Air Force.

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