A group of university students were congratulated this week for completing the South Australian Government’s Defence Industry Scholarship Program.
Delivered by the Australian Industry Group, the program supports the development of a defence-ready workforce by providing work-based learning opportunities.
The 25 students, from Adelaide University, Flinders University and the University of South Australia, received grants of up to $10,000 to undertake placements with local defence companies.
Ai Group’s role included matching the STEM and business students to host companies.
Ai Group Head of SA Estha van der Linden, who presented graduates with their certificates at a ceremony hosted by Nova Systems in Adelaide, said Ai Group was a proud partner in delivering the program.
“Organisations we have partnered with say the program is an invaluable way of engaging with universities and recruiting the best and brightest students,” Ms van der Linden said.
“They’ve seen a real return on investment while helping students gain the kind of practical skills and knowledge that are available when applied in a workplace setting.”
The Defence Industry Scholarship Program has given 91 students work-based learning opportunities across 26 host companies including 19 SMEs and seven defence primes since it was launched in 2019.
It is being replaced with a new program that will begin later this year to continue supporting students in defence industry-related courses and assisting them to transition from education to employment.
Wendy Larter is Communications Manager at the Australian Industry Group. She has more than 20 years’ experience as a reporter, features writer, contributor and sub-editor for newspapers and magazines including The Courier-Mail in Brisbane and Metro, the News of the World, The Times and Elle in the UK.
