Eighty six young people are preparing to start their careers with BAE Systems Australia this week after the company recruited a record number of graduates to roles across some of Australia's most important defence programs.
Most have been employed in Victoria (28) and South Australia (50) supporting the Hunter Class Frigate Program, the Jindalee Operational Radar Network upgrade and the development of new technologies for the Australian Defence Force, the company said.
The remainder will be working across a range of maritime and aerospace sustainment programs and corporate roles in the ACT, NSW, QLD and WA.
Thirty-two percent of the new graduates are female.
A further 30 apprentices will join the company later in the year. Half of this cohort will begin their careers in advanced manufacturing and aircraft sustainment roles, while the other 15 will join the Hunter Class Frigate Program, almost doubling the number of apprentices supporting the delivery of future ships.
“Our early career programs open the door for young people to a long and diverse career with opportunities to move between projects, across states or countries as they build experience," BAE Systems Australia Chief People Officer, Angela Wiggins said.
“There is high demand right across Australia for engineers, project managers and technologists, as well as trades including boilermakers, electricians, fabricators and aircraft maintainers.
“We are also growing our capability across specialist areas in big data, artificial intelligence, virtual reality, machine learning and autonomous systems which provides a fantastic opportunity for our engineering and computer studies graduates to hone next generation technology skills on the job.”
The company says next year it plans to recruit more than 100 graduates to roles across the Australian business.