800 Students Deep Dive into Defence Industry

Around 800 high schoolers took part in a pioneering Defence Industry Immersive Day at Charles Campbell College South Australia.

The Defence Industry Immersive Day is part of a broader effort to address skills shortages across Australia’s defence industry sector - ensuring that the next generation of skilled workers are ready to step into roles that will support the economy for decades.

The event gave students a rare, hands-on experience of defence, one of the state’s most important sectors, and they saw first-hand the diversity of roles within the defence industry supply chain.

Students rotated through a dynamic schedule of immersive activities including stepping inside a giant life-like inflatable submarine, and interacting with virtual reality (VR) software, to get an exclusive glimpse inside the future of naval technology.

AI-powered career-matching assessments were available to help students identify roles across STEM and non-STEM disciplines that play to their aptitude and personal strengths. Each activity was designed to help students see how their strengths align with real world opportunities.

Principal Kevin O’Neil says the program’s AI career matching software let students discover their individual skill profiles.

“The students realised that they have a bright future ahead of them. They were so excited to see that their skills aligned with potential careers in defence industries and that the demand for employees with skills like theirs was extremely high.

“Having direct contact and the ability to have personalised conversations with defence industries personnel had a huge impact on student discussions about their career choices and subject choices. Students developed a deeper understanding of the defence industries that are seeking young people as employees, and many students indicated that they now considered careers in defence industries where they would not have in the past.

“It was the direct link to students that has made the biggest difference. The Forge Your Future program, conducted in-situ, was a much more impactful experience than visiting a careers expo or similar event with thousands of other students. Students had genuine opportunities to engage with those working within the industry, which proved very powerful.”

Charles Campbell College has identified pathways and curriculum in STEM-related areas as a key focus, alongside relevant vocational education and training courses, and has made these options available as part of their ‘careers for all’ guarantee to families. With increased interest in careers linked to defence industries, there may well be a need to increase availability within the curriculum to cater for additional number of students.

The College already has a strong reputation for excellence in Vocational Education and Training (VET), providing high-quality VET programs and equipping students with the skills and knowledge required to thrive in various industries.

“Parents were delighted to have their children engage in the Forge Your Future program and valued the intent of the program to engage directly with students and assist them to recognise that their skill sets are highly desirable within the defence industries,” O’Neil says.

To other principals looking to pursue a similar type of program O’Neil says, “The program was highly engaging and pitched at the right level for school students and the buy-in from our students was tremendous. I cannot speak more highly of the value that this program has, in raising awareness of careers within defence industries.

“The combination of on-the-job training with off the job study provides an ideal pathway for young people. Young people feel supported by this kind of opportunity and employers are invested in developing the skills and talents of the young person. Any program that encourages cooperation between employees and trainees should be welcomed - the more opportunities the better.

“Employers and young people are more aware than ever about building the capacity of those in the workforce, that skills are transferable across industries, and that young people are increasingly able to be adaptable and learn skills over the course of their working lives.”

Student Mani Haghighi, a Year 11 in Charles Campbell ‘s VET Electrotechnology program said, “I was surprised by how many different jobs and career paths connect to the defence industry. It’s not just engineering or trades - there are roles in project management, IT, design, and even communications. I didn’t realise how broad it actually was.

“Before this, I hadn’t really thought about working in the defence industry, but now it feels like something I’d actually consider. It definitely influenced my subject choices - I’ve picked more practical subjects to build my hands-on skills and technical understanding. Subjects like metalwork, automotive, and maths will help me develop the kind of abilities that are important in defence and trade-related jobs.”

Bianca Wall’s, Year 10, AI skills assessment showed that she was particularly strong in literacy and memory, she was also surprised that her numerical reasoning score was higher than she expected.

“I was pleased to see positive results in areas like cultural fit, agreeableness, and conscientiousness. Overall, the results showed that I’m more academically driven than I thought and that I could be a real asset to a company.

“I knew the Defence industry had a wide range of roles, but I didn’t realise just how many there were that matched specific skill sets.”

She had thought about a career in the Defence industry, and the program gave her the chance to meet and talk with companies that she’s now seriously considering as potential future employers, solidifying her career goal to be an electrician.

Forge Your Future runs the program and Director, Ian Handley, says, “Australia is home to some of the most significant defence industry projects in the world, and that means incredible opportunities for our young people. Our program is about more than career exploration - it’s about inspiring students to see themselves as part of this thriving industry and giving them the confidence and tools to get there.”

Delivered by WithYouWithMe and Year13, the program combines virtual and in-person learning, personalised skills assessments, industry mentorship, and career matching powered by AI-driven technology.

WYWM’s workforce intelligence software, Potential, is an employee activation platform that identifies, grows and mobilises an individual’s skills to align with an organisation’s needs. Founded in 2011, Year13 is a Gen Z Publisher and Ed-tech which supports the school-to-work transition.