Ten South Australian university students have been awarded exclusive internships designed to pave the way to careers in the defence, science and technology sectors.
Minister for Science and Information Economy Gail Gago said the Defence and STEM Scholarship and Internship Program will enable students to gain valuable industry experience through structured work placements with local companies.
“The internships provide university students with opportunities to work directly with the defence and STEM industry to enhance their skills and improve their career and employment prospects,” Ms Gago said.
“The South Australian Government is committed to promoting careers in the STEM area, and this program is an important way of not only highlighting opportunities but helping create pathways from study into the workforce.
The 10 interns will undertake projects in their chosen field with high-profile companies such as BAE Systems Australia, Saab, Cobham, Saab, IQMS, General Dynamics Land Systems Australia, Data to Decisions CRC and Palamir.
The projects range from information technology and software development to engineering, geospatial science, aviation and logistics.
“This first round of interns includes two women, which is significant as we are particularly keen to encourage more women to study and work in STEM fields,” Ms Gago said.
Defence Industries Minister Martin-Hamilton Smith said the defence sector is critical to South Australia’s future economic prosperity.
“The defence industry epitomises our efforts to shift from traditional to high-value manufacturing – a critical transition if our economy is to compete on a global basis,” Mr Hamilton-Smith said.
“Our state makes a major contribution to the national defence effort and is home to world-class industry delivering many of defence’s largest and most complex projects.
“Local defence companies are operating at the cutting edge of technology, creating innovative solutions to extremely complex problems.
“It’s vital we have a pipeline of skilled workers capable of meeting industry’s needs, so initiatives like these internships are very important,” he said.
Todd Hainsworth, a computer science student at the University of South Australia, will undertake an internship with the Data 2 Decisions (D2D) CRC. He said it was an incredible opportunity to broaden his professional experience while contributing to the development of Australia’s defence industry.
“I see the internship as an excellent launching pad into a career in defence and look forward to learning from the people involved in the CRC and its affiliates, while also contributing to my own skills and expertise,” Todd said.
Applications for the second round of internships opens this month. For more information visit: www.statedevelopment.sa.gov.au/skills/defence-programs