Defence
Workforce Overview
The Defence industry-sector is responsible for protecting Australia's national security interests. It supports regional stability and diplomatic efforts, deters potential threats, and protects Australia’s maritime borders.
The Australian Defence Force includes the:
- Australian Army
- Royal Australian Navy
- Royal Australian Air Force.
The Department of Defence manages many different groups within its organisational structure such as the Defence Science and Technology Group.
Defence personnel work to counter threats both at home and overseas, and promote global peace through international collaborations.
Workforce Challenges
Public Skills Australia has identified that the Defence industry-sector experiences the following workforce challenges.
- Expansion of core duties
- Technological development
- Recruitment and retention
- Diversity and inclusion
- Career pathways
- Climate change
- Public trust and perceptions
- Competition for labour
- Demographic shifts
There are also two industry-specific challenges that are only experienced by the Defence industry-sector.
The Workforce Plan 2024: Defence will be published on Public Skills Australia’s website. Contact us or follow us on LinkedIn to receive updates on the Workforce Plans 2024 series.
The Defence industry-sector has developed strategic plans to help address these workforce challenges.
Training Overview
The DEF Defence Training Package holds the formal training undertaken by Defence personnel. It is delivered through multiple training streams.
To meet the needs of specific organisations, single units of competency are regularly delivered to satisfy industry needs.
Public Skills Australia works closely with employees and organisations from the Defence industry-sector, and the Australian Defence College to audit and keep the DEF Defence Training Package up to date.
Click here to learn more about the DEF Defence Training Package.
Members of Public Skills Australia from this industry-sector
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References
Existing workforce strategies
Department of Defence, National Defence: Defence Strategic Review, Department of Defence, Australian Government, 2023.
Department of Home Affairs, Alternative Commonwealth Capabilities for Crisis Response: Discussion Paper – August 2023, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Australian Government, 2023.
Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade, Inquiry into the Department of Defence Annual Report 2021–22, Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade, Commonwealth of Australia, 2023.
Disclaimer
This data have been collected through consultation with industry-sector representatives as part of the Workforce Plan 2024: Defence. These figures represent a snapshot in time and are subject to change. Public Skills Australia Limited has made every effort to ensure that the information and data contained in this report are accurate, up to date and have been sourced appropriately. Our organisation will update these figures annually as part of its Workforce Planning function.