Leading global defence company Saab Australia (Saab) is the newest industry partner to sign up to an Australia-first initiative, blending university study with practical workplace training to support South Australia’s growing defence sector.
The Software Engineering Degree Apprenticeship, launched by the University of South Australia, the State Government and industry in 2024, will continue in 2026 under Adelaide University, when UniSA merges with the University of Adelaide.
Saab has joined three other Adelaide defence employers – BAE Systems, submarine company ASC, and electronic warfare specialists Consunet – to onboard first year software engineering students as full-time apprentices over five years.
The ‘earning and learning fusion’ is informed by the software degree apprenticeship system in the UK, where BAE systems train students at the Barrow-in-Furness submarine shipyard.
The degree apprenticeship – the first in Australia co-designed by academia, industry and government – embeds software engineering students into SA’s defence sector from day one so they can hit the ground running when they graduate, ensuring South Australia is ready to meet AUKUS’ needs.
Feedback from BAE, ASC and Consunet since the program’s launch in April 2024 has been “exceptional,” according to program director Dr Jo Zucco.
“We meet with industry mentors every three months to check in and see how the apprentices are tracking in their workplace,” Dr Zucco says.
“From all reports, they are bringing fresh energy to the teams they are placed in and are involved in meaningful work, completing tasks that have been on the organisations’ ‘to-do lists’ for months.”
“From the apprentices’ perspective, they benefit from directly applying what they are learning in the classroom to their workplace. They are performing exceptionally well academically, demonstrating the immense value of the apprenticeship model.”
The software degree apprenticeship won the 2025 Australian Defence Industry Awards’ Training and Mentorship Program of the Year and the Future Builder Award at the Universities Australia’s 2024 Shaping Australia Awards, underscoring its value to both industry and academia.
Saab Australia Managing Director Andy Keough CSC says that employing Bachelor of Software Engineering students through an apprenticeship is “the next step to strengthen the skills pipeline for defence projects in South Australia.”
“By bringing young people into the workforce through the Software Engineering Degree Apprenticeship program we can fast-track their development and assist them to undertake more challenging work earlier in their careers.
“Saab Australia provides sovereign capabilities to the Australian Defence Force that are built on the strength of our employees. With over 35 years’ experience delivering Combat Management Systems and other high-tech capabilities, our new apprentices will be building on the cutting-edge defence technology that has been developed and integrated by our Australian team to provide world leading defence capabilities.”
Earlier this year, the employer-sponsored program won the Future Builder Award at the Universities Australia’s Shaping Australia Awards, and the Australian Defence Industry Award’s Training and Mentorship Program of the Year.
“This apprenticeship degree is a win-win for all parties,” says Adelaide University Executive Director Defence & Security Institute, Professor Michael Webb.
“It blends academic study with employment, creates work-ready graduates for the Australian defence and security sector, fills industry shortfalls in software engineering, and helps break down financial barriers for students wanting to study in this field.”
“We believe it could set a precedent for other industries based on the initial feedback, which has been overwhelmingly positive.”