Pictured: BAE Systems Australia’s Scott Robertson, Head of Supply Chain - Maritime Acquisition and Ema Saric, Head of People – Maritime, with this year’s intake of apprentices
The intake includes 47 apprentices joining the Hunter Class Frigate Program at the Osborne Naval Shipyard in Adelaide, where a fleet of six world class anti-submarine warships are currently under construction.
Another five apprentices are joining the company’s Advanced Manufacturing facilities at Edinburgh Parks, in Adelaide’s north, which produces components across programs including the Nulka active decoy, the Evolved SeaSparrow Missile and High Frequency Surveillance exports.
The apprentice cohort is part of a wider intake of more than 260 graduates, apprentices and interns recruited across BAE Systems’ Australian operations in 2025. A number of the new apprentices have taken on roles at Osborne after graduating from the new Findon Technical College, where students are learning the fundamentals around trades roles in shipbuilding.
BAE Systems Australia’s Chief People Officer Angela Wiggins said the record intake in 2025 underscored the work by the company and partners including the South Australian Government to enable talented young South Australians to establish a career in the Defence industry.
“This is a world-class example of industry, the education sector and government working together for the benefit of Australia,” Angela said.
Apprentices working across the Hunter program are just part of the major recruitment campaign underway to build the workforce at Osborne to a peak of more than 2500 employees.
“The Hunter program is building the world’s most advanced anti-submarine warfare frigates, which is establishing the foundation for continuous naval shipbuilding for the nation that delivers thousands of highly skilled jobs into our economy,” Angela said.
“We will continue to ramp up recruitment for the program with 400 new trades roles to be offered in 2025, and an additional 600 new roles to be offered across our Maritime operations at Osborne."
“Congratulations again to our new apprentices. We know you have bright futures ahead,” Angela said.