Radio Interview, 6PR Perth

SUBJECTS: Growing & Skilling Australia’s Submariner Workforce; Invictus Games 2025.

GARY ADSHEAD, HOST: All right. Now then, this is a bit like Uncle Sam. The Australian Defence Force needs you and the ads are starting to run in relation to recruitment around of course, the signing of the AUKUS agreement and the sort of experts are people who will be required to take that forward in terms of what's going on with AUKUS. So, just have a listen to one of the ads that's out there now. 

[Ad begins] 

‘I AM A SUBMARINER’ AD VOICEOVER: Who am I? I can hear sounds from kilometres away and have mastered technology that few can access. I travel to places that can't be found on a map. I lead a team that can see where others can't to gather intelligence on secret missions. Who am I? I am a submariner. Find out who you can be. 

[Ad ends]

ADSHEAD: Oh, good stuff. Matt Keogh is the Minister for Veterans' Affairs. I'm sure he's heard that a couple of times and he joins me now. Thanks for your time.

MINISTER FOR VETERANS’ AFFAIRS AND DEFENCE PERSONNEL, MATT KEOGH: Hi, Gary, great to be with you.

ADSHEAD: Exciting.

MINISTER KEOGH:  It is exciting and it's important that we're sharing that excitement with as many people as possible to sort of demystify a bit what submariner service is all about, especially as we're looking to triple the size of our workforce in submarines. Not just with the existing submarine workforce, but as we go into nuclear powered submarines into the future.

ADSHEAD: So, timeline wise, I mean, how ahead of the game do you have to be in terms of finding these right people and training them? Is it sort of kids that are coming out of school now or is it those that are leaving university or going into uni? What's the timeline?

MINISTER KEOGH:  Yeah, it's all of the above, Gary, we're talking about, well, we've already got naval personnel training right now, they've been doing courses in the UK, the US in fact, Australian submariners have topped the class in the UK. But yeah, we're looking at getting school leavers that are able to do direct entry into nuclear powered submarine roles. So, you know, as electricians, mechanics, those who are going to work on weapons and sensors, electronic warfare technicians who need to learn those trades in a nuclear powered submarine environment.

ADSHEAD: Alright, so let's talk about the training centre at HMAS Stirling. That's something that you've proudly begun construction on. What will it look like?

MINISTER KEOGH: Well, it'll look like what I would describe as a naval training centre, Gary, but I'm sure a lot of people don't know what they look like. It's more about what happens inside. So, you're looking at a reasonably large building that's got multifunction classroom spaces, but also has simulators and the opportunity for people to practice what they need to learn before they go into the actual submarine environment. Being able to access that cutting edge technology that operates on these platforms. And of course we've got the US Virginia class submarines start rotating out of HMAS Stirling here in WA from 2027 onwards. So, this facility will support the training and ongoing development of the United States submariners that are there and then the UK ones that follow them, as well as providing the training opportunities for our own home grown submariner workforce.

ADSHEAD: All right, because we talk about jobs like nuclear powered submarine electricians and submarine electronics technicians, etc. Just so I understand though, I mean you will go through Navy training as you would normally as well, or how will it work? Or are you looking for specialists that can be part of it, but in civilian outfits?

MINISTER KEOGH: So, this is about joining the Navy and doing those roles in the Navy. So, you would come in as a normal Navy recruit, undertake that ordinary basic Navy training and then people go into their specialisations as they would now, but we're now recruiting for those specialisations across nuclear powered submarine electricians, electronic technicians, nuclear powered submarine mechanics, weapons and sensor network technicians, and the electronic warfare network technicians that would be operating in a nuclear powered environment. So, they're learning how to do that craft learning that trade for operating on a nuclear powered platform. So, we need to continue to recruit those for our existing submarine workforce, but we need to be recruiting in greater numbers as well for that future submarine workforce. So, coming out of high school, straight into Navy, going into training, into these jobs as well as those that are looking to go through university or other pathways in, or even those that are looking to career change a bit further down their career path. You know, we want those people to look at these jobs seriously because it's a great opportunity to be working on cutting edge technology. Staying here in Perth. For those who are located in Perth, this is the home of the submarine fleet here in Western Australia, to do that training and to do that work.

ADSHEAD: I'm trying to figure out, so it'll, you know, early 2030s, when this is actually open and up running in terms of its strategic importance, this particular training centre, you'll have how many people working out of it?

MINISTER KEOGH: Well, it's, the strategic importance is right now, Gary, and as I say we've already got our naval personnel that are undertaking training in the US and the UK. This building will enable that training to then also be happening here in Perth in just a few years time, supporting those rotating forces from the US and the UK and our Australians who will be beginning to be trained here as well. We've got ASC personnel who do the, in the civilian side of the world, do that sustainment and maintenance, who are over in Pearl Harbor in Hawaii right now training to do this work. We even had an Australian submariner bring a US Virginia class submarine into port just in August earlier this year. So, the work's already starting. AUKUS is real now. This environment we're having to engage in is right now, but we're ramping up. We're looking to triple the size of that workforce, going to around 3,000 personnel.

ADSHEAD: All right, can they see it now in terms of the jobs that will be up for grabs? You know, can that, can that be sort of seen on a website where they can start thinking, right-o I'm going to join the Navy. This is where I'm aiming for.

MINISTER KEOGH: Absolutely. Google ADF Careers, it'll take you to the ADF Careers website. And people can see the over 300 different roles available across the Australian Defence Force. But in particular, you know, they can just search submariner, submarine. It'll bring up all the different roles, all the different types for our current conventionally powered submarines as well as for the nuclear powered submarines. You know, we're going to have those rotating through Perth in just a couple of years’ time, we're going to be putting our submarine workforce onto those subs, working with the US and then working with the UK, learning their craft, getting that practical training so that in the early 2030s when we receive our first Virginia class submarine, we have the workforce to run that submarine. That will be an Australian flagged submarine. A sovereign capability for Australia. We're building that workforce right now to be able to operate those submarines.

ADSHEAD: It'd be remiss of me not to just mention I was talking before yourself, and you may not have heard, Minister, but I was talking to one of the new co-captains just been appointed ahead of the Invictus Games. He was a Navy Clearance Officer, he's 54, he spent his career in the Navy. He's going to compete in Canada while dealing with terminal cancer. I mean, it is an extraordinary story. His name's Doug Griffith, by the way. Inspiring.

MINISTER KEOGH: Absolutely inspiring, Gary. And that is the story of Invictus is people who have, you know, stood up for our country and are now dealing with injury or illness, just as you heard from Doug. And they're not letting that beat them. They're continuing on and they're participating in these international sporting competitions. And the competition in Vancouver next year is a hybrid of winter and summer sports. And we've got 33 Australians participating in those Invictus Games. And I think they become an example to so many who are confronted with injury and illness and hardship about the capacity to continue to live fulsome lives, to engage and what can be achieved when people put their mind to it. And they are truly inspiring. And what's really great about the way Invictus Australia engages is it's not just those 33 at the elite level that are representing Australia, it's also the work they do connecting our veterans into adaptive sport programmes at a community level across the country, to make sure that people are connected into community and that they're supported as they transition from that military life into a civilian life dealing with those injuries as well.

ADSHEAD: Matt Keogh, really appreciate you coming on. Thanks very much for your time today.

MINISTER KEOGH: Thanks, Gary. Great to chat.

ADSHEAD: Matt Keogh there, Minister for Veterans’ Affairs.

ENDS