Xtek to ramp up ballistic armour production

Ballistic armour manufacturer Xtek has secured loan funding to allow the expansion of its ballistic helmet manufacturing facility in Adelaide. The company secured a $2.5 million loan from the Commonwealth Bank which will be used to install commercial scale preform presses needed before the company’s proprietary XTclave composite materials curing and consolidation process. The process…

Details

HMAS Armidale shows extent of SME’s defence involvement

A just-completed maintenance operation on HMAS Armidale (pictured) has illustrated the extent of SME involvement in supporting the Australian defence forces. Defence minister Melissa Price today announced Armidale had undocked in Cairns after undergoing a $5 million servicing and restoration project at the Norship shipyard. More than 200 critical tasks were carried out by Norship…

Details

Apprenticeship slump continues even as National Cabinet responds

New figures show the apprenticeship and trainee system was continuing its long-term slump even before the Covid-19 pandemic which has put a spanner in the works of training plans across industry. The figures for the December quarter, 2019 from the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER), show apprenticeship and traineeship commencements down a massive…

Details