At the rate the naval construction workforce programme is going graduates will be ready to start work on the replacements for the submarines not yet being built.  The Naval Shipbuilding College, established in April, does not actually teach anybody to build anything. Instead, its first tasks are to, “establish industry workforce requirements, build capacity and annual throughput at education and training facilities around Australia, increase key entry-level trade qualifications to meet initial construction demand, and boost apprenticeship opportunities.”

Which leaves voced and universities to launch their own partnerships. Like the University of Tasmania’s Australian Maritime College, which teaches maritime engineering and hydrodynamics and yesterday signed a pathways deal for maritime engineering courses, with WA’s South Metro TAFE.

Good-o but does anybody know how many workers and in what skills the navy-build will need.