Engineering scholarship program welcomes new students

Forty engineering students from Australian universities have been awarded scholarships as part of the government’s plan to grow the pool of engineering talent for naval shipbuilding.

The National Naval Shipbuilding Pipeline Scholarship program provides students from the Queensland University of Technology and the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology with funded university study.

Facilitated by the Naval Shipbuilding College, the Program also gives the students the opportunity to gain relevant and meaningful work placements and mentoring. 

Minister for Defence Industry Melissa Price said the government had a coordinated plan to ensure that Australian workers could capitalise on the generation of jobs to be delivered through Australia’s Naval Shipbuilding Enterprise. 

“Recipients of the scholarship pilot program will be supported to study various engineering disciplines that will be in high demand as our naval shipbuilding program ramps up,” Minister Price said.

This year’s recipients join 32 students who are already part of the scholarship program. 

These students are specialising in disciplines critical to the future of the shipbuilding industry, including computer and software systems, mechatronics, and mechanical, electrical and electronic engineering.

In addition to financial support, the scholarship provides hands-on experience through an industry work placement component. 

“Scholarship recipients have a unique opportunity to immerse themselves in Australia’s defence industry and learn practical skills from engineers who are currently working on shipbuilding projects,” Minister Price said. 

“We have already seen fantastic support from industry, with 12 companies across the country working with the Naval Shipbuilding College to support work placements for 32 previous recipients over the 2020 summer break.”