HMAS_Darwin_F-04

The HMAS Darwin.

Tasmania is well placed to benefit from the multi-billion dollar navy ship building program, the University of Tasmania says.

UTAS Vice-Chancellor Professor Rufus Black said the Australian Maritime College was delighted to be announced as a strategic partner in the new national enterprise, the Naval Shipbuilding Institute, a joint venture between Kellogg Brown & Root and Huntington Ingalls Industries, which will operate the Naval Shipbuilding College in Adelaide.

Professor Black said AMC looked forward to working closely with the Institute – a partnership he said paved the way for profound benefits for the university and the region.

“There will soon be unprecedented career development opportunities in the maritime sector, particularly in the fields of maritime engineering and logistics, as a result of the Australian Government’s multi-billion dollar naval shipbuilding program,” Professor Black said.

“AMC’s strong defence and industry connections, coupled with its breadth of offering in maritime training, education, research and consultancy, means it is well-positioned to respond to these growing demands.”

Despite concern from some quarters that Tasmania did not feature more prominently in the announcement, Professor Black said AMC’s unique combination of specialist degree offerings, leading-edge infrastructure and teams of expert academic and technical staff placed the institute in good stead to support the operational needs of the NSC, wider industry and government.

AMC Chairman Paul Gregg said the NSC would not be competing with the AMC as an additional educational institution.

Rather, it would be an industry-led entity, supported by the education and training sector, that will manage the necessary workforce pipeline around the nation.

“The NSC will work with education and training providers around the country to develop programs that will produce the highly skilled workers crucial to delivering on the $90 billion investment in naval shipbuilding,” Mr Gregg said.