Katherine Ziesing | Canberra
Specialist recruiting firm Kinexus has released their Defence Industry Insights paper, based on a recent survey of trends in the sector.
The report touches on a number of facets connected to Defence Industry employment such as median wages, growth hotspots, desired job titles and programs to watch.
The report notes that in the last 12 months, all states have seen an upturn in vacancy advertising, up 74.5 per cent in a year, except for SA and Queensland. The ACT is experiencing the strongest growth, mainly due to the flow on effects of the First Principles Review.
In the last 12 months, all states have seen an upturn in vacancy advertising, except SA and Qld
Those chasing a healthy pay packet would be well placed to focus on procurement and purchasing manager positions, which have both seen wage growth of 20 per cent nation wide in the last 12 months. The report also provides a state-by-state breakdown of average remuneration packages for a number of common Defence Industry roles.
Credit: Kinexus
There are three factors that will influence demand for skills (see graphic for skills in demand) in Defence Industry over the short and medium term:
• Project Environment: Numerous acquisition and upgrade projects scheduled to commence
• First Principles Review: Changing role of defence, and increased scope for Defence Industry
• Technology: New technologies and capabilities require new skills
The report also notes “tertiary institutions nationwide are looking to boost their capabilities in the autonomous systems domain, and are hoping to benefit from state and Federal Government financial assistance packages”.