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QinetiQ has recently commenced an Industry leading Graduate Program with a focus on ensuring critical key skill sets are protected, developed and matured. Initially piloted with our Defence customer in the Land domain, we are future proofing our capabilities to continually deliver value and outcomes to our customers. QinetiQ believes growing Defence Industry is our responsibility if we are to support Defence realise its capability aspirations.

“We are doing our part to help increase the overall delivery capability across the Land Domain and CASG, whilst providing our graduates with diverse and engaging work placements to aid their development and help foster our future leaders.”Program Director Advisory Victoria, Chris Langton - QinetiQ Australia

An innovative approach to plugging the skills gap

QinetiQ are currently delivering capability support in disciplines of Fleet Management, Integrated Logistics Support (ILS), Project Management and Configuration Management within both the acquisition and sustainment teams of Project LAND 121 Phase 3B.

Our talented consultants have a well-developed and deep understanding of Army’s requirements for support to Land vehicle capabilities, and are therefore employed in key roles within the project and sustainment sections, supporting the Commonwealth teams. Our ability to deliver in these key roles has been achieved by maintaining a collaborative and open relationship between Land Domain and QinetiQ, with our focus and commitment to deliver beyond expectations to meet our client’s and end user needs.

Identifying a future skills-gap that had emerged in the Defence market in critical capability areas such as ILS, we developed a graduate program, piloted within the Land Domain in Melbourne, aimed at developing the future ILS professionals through providing rotations within key Acquisition and Sustainment programs within existing QinetiQ Advisory teams. With support from CASG, the introduction of graduate roles within such Land programs allows for the growth and training of the next generation of specialists whilst also meeting critical skills shortages within the current CASG workforce. This is seen as a Win/Win situation for both Defence and Industry.

“The establishment of QinetiQ’s Defence Industry Graduate Program is an important initiative. It demonstrates QinetiQ’s commitment to build the ILS capacity that will be needed to enable Land Domain to acquire and sustain future land capabilities for the Australian Defence Force”Mr Alan Connolly, Director ILS Land Vehicle Systems Branch, CASG

The first cohort of graduates will be provided with training and development across QinetiQ and Defence business areas and will graduate from the 18 month program as entry-level practitioners. While the initial graduate program is aimed at growing the ILS skill set within the Land Domain, our vision is to also expand the program from 2020 onward to include Engineering, Project Management and Commercial Graduates across Defence to support the full breadth of Acquisition and Sustainment programs.

Integrated Logistics Support; a critical skills-set for the future Defence Force

The Integrated Logistics Support discipline is based on consideration of the entire life-cycle to drive lower through-life costs, enhance system availability and therefore ultimately reduce the total cost of ownership and increase operational effectiveness.

We have a proven track record delivering ILS support solutions to Defence and recently received a Gold Commendation from CASG for our expertise in bringing the P-8A Poseidon into service as part of the AIR 7000 program. We operate across all Domains in Defence and leverage these unique skills in the delivery of programs to non-Defence clients including Victoria Police, Bureau of Meteorology and the Victorian State Government.

With many of the current ILS professionals in the industry coming to the tail-end of their careers, we are highly committed to succession planning and future-proofing this skill set. Through our innovative graduate program we will ensure that our clients have the skilled professionals they need to support capability well into the future.

QinetiQ is a trusted industry partner that supports the acquisition, delivery and sustainment of critical Land capabilities for the ADF. For more information, contact Chris Langton.