Defence industry skills boost to $39 million program

Defence industry businesses are being given greater access to the federal government’s Skilling Australia’s Defence Industry (SADI) program which offers grants to small and medium sized businesses.

The program, which is to cost $39 million over the next two years, offers grants of up to $500,000 with changes to the scheme broadening eligibility requirements for skilling and training and for training providers.

Defence industry businesses can now apply for grants for a number of activities to help Australian businesses to become ‘defence ready’.

Minister for defence industry Melissa Price said: ““SADI can now support defence industry in technical and trade skills training, improved human resources practices, apprenticeship supervision, and on-the-job training.”

Other types of eligible training include design, engineering, project/program management and logistics.

It also includes training to enhance understanding of Commonwealth Government procurement services and Defence operations, and support services, including information technology and cyber security.

Price said: “The Defence Teaming Centre is one industry association that is now able to use its SADI grant to provide a Diploma of Digital Technologies course to 16 participants who represent 14 different small to medium Australian defence businesses.”

Since September 2020, the Government has awarded 34 grants to industry businesses worth almost $2 million.

Picture: Defence Teaming Centre

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