Naida Rasheed is new to South Australia, having relocated from Sydney to join Southern Launch as a Launch Engineer. Space has always been on Naida’s radar. Growing up, she and her father often spoke about space, the pinnacle being the purchase of a family telescope. Spending many evenings zooming in on the rings of Saturn and the craters of the Moon, Naida’s passion was ignited. But was a career in space really possible in Australia? “Early on, when I was [...]
As a Program Director leading a team of consultants, Karen Hughes brings with her a wealth of experience in the defence industry. Originally born in England, she migrated to Australia as a child when her father was employed by the federal government in Canberra, moving to Adelaide soon after. Once school was complete, Karen began a maths degree at university, sparking an interest in computer science. And that set the direction for the rest of Karen’s career. “Computer Science just [...]
After starting out as a Flight Lieutenant in the Royal Australian Air Force, Dr Jordan Plotnek took advantage of South Australia’s booming space industry, and sky-rocketed toward a career in space cyber security. Jordan’s days are now spent democratising their knowledge and expertise as a Senior Lecturer and Researcher at UniSA, and as Critical Infrastructure Lead and Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) for veteran-owned professional services firm, Anchoram Consulting. Growing up, Jordan’s curiosity for wireless communications piqued at the drive-in theatre. [...]
The Defence Trailblazer for Concept to Sovereign Capability is a strategic $240 million partnership between the University of Adelaide and UNSW, over 35 industry partners and the Commonwealth Department of Education. In collaboration with industry, academic and government partners, the Defence Trailblazer aims to strengthen Australia’s defence capabilities by developing cutting-edge technologies and solutions, while simultaneously equipping the next generation of innovators with specialised knowledge and skills to meet the current and future needs of Defence. With access to defence [...]
Seeking a graduate placement that would give him an advantage, Scott Pearse set his sights on a Cyber Technology internship at DEWC Services. Supported by the South Australian Government’s Defence Industry Scholarship Program, the move has launched his career in software security at one of the defence industry’s top electronic warfare companies. Completing a Bachelor of Information Technology at Flinders University and a rifleman in the Army Reserve, Scott wanted to find a placement that incorporated his interest in Defence [...]
Dr Gretel Png’s career journey has seen her work and study across the globe before landing in South Australia to work at Defence Science and Technology Group (DSTG) in late 2018. Through DSTG’s 2021 inaugural NAVIGATE program, Gretel undertook a placement with the Defence Innovation Partnership (DIP) where she worked to get the new Activator Fund off the ground. “I’ve applied for grants in the past and I wanted to see what it’s like on the other side: to be [...]
In a time not all that long ago, you could have been forgiven for thinking a career in the space industry was something you would have to go overseas to do, and it involved being a rocket scientist or astronaut flying to the moon. This is definitely not the case with a range of exciting careers now available in South Australia in an industry that’s making a difference to the way we live, and helping to create a sustainable future. [...]
Antennas are everywhere. There are tiny ones in every mobile phone and laptop, and in the hardware that helps them connect to wi-fi. They are in the security tags that prevent shoplifting in stores. They’re in medical devices that can detect cancerous tumours. And, of course, there are the big ones that capture signals from satellites in space. Zahra Esmati has been fascinated by antennas ever since she studied telecommunications back in her home country of Iran. Now, she’s is [...]
South Australians looking for exciting lifelong career opportunities need look no further than the defence and space industries. With a range of high paying careers across naval shipbuilding, information warfare, cyber and space, the state will be looking to employ more than 10,000 people over the next two decades. Keen to find out more? Come and see Defence SA and a range of defence and space industry at The Big Meet on Friday 24 March at the Adelaide Convention Centre, [...]
An impressive cohort of 36 South Australian university students have taken the next step in their defence industry careers, graduating from the highly regarded Defence Industry Scholarship Program. The South Australian Government-funded scholarship program, administered by AiGroup, provides eligible university students with grants of up to $10,000 to undertake work placements at a local defence company. The graduation ceremony held at Edinburgh-based manufacturer, AML3D, recognised students who have completed their defence industry placement across a range of roles, gaining in-demand skills, knowledge [...]
Not-for-profit organisation Business in Schools has launched a statewide program supporting girls and women to explore careers in non-traditional occupations and industries. Making Her Mark has been developed to inspire, encourage and educate females from the ages of 16 to 60 to embrace a variety of career choices without the restraint of gender stereotypes. Currently, the initiative’s website features access to role models, pathways, resources and support in entering a vast range of industries. Business in Schools Board Member and [...]
South Australian electronic warfare company DEWC Services has been recognised as a top graduate employer as part of the 2023 Australian Association of Graduate Employers (AAGE) Top Graduate Employers list. DEWC Services was the only small to medium business in the state and one of only three South Australian-headquartered companies recognised on the list, which is based on first-hand ratings and feedback from graduates who spend at least 12 months with an employer. Developed in late 2020 to boost local talent across the [...]
I get excited about working in the space industry because putting something into space is so difficult. I love the idea of the challenge, that it requires a huge amount of work from so many talented people in a variety of fields all working together to make a project come to fruition.
I love that I’m able to work with others to solve problems that have an impact and make a difference every day while still being able to learn new things.
It was exciting moving back to South Australia not only because it’s where I’m from, but because of the emerging space industry. I wanted to help build the space industry in Australia from the ground up, rather than work overseas in an industry that’s already established.
There’s such a variety of opportunities in the defence industry and I’m really excited about the prospect of working on innovative and cutting-edge projects. I have some of the greatest minds around me and these people support me in my growth and development as an engineer.
Whilst a larger number of roles in the space industry are in engineering, there are lots of other ways to be involved. Space companies, like ours, still need accountants, lawyers and people in communications and marketing.
The best thing about leading a company in South Australia’s defence industry is shining a light on the local skills, talent, and innovation that exists right here, in our own backyard.
I’m excited for the opportunity to work on massive projects that have a real impact on the future of our Defence Force and the nation’s protection and security.
There are a number of projects within South Australia which you can spend your entire career working on and still enjoy what you do.
There’s a misconception that the defence industry is very serious, but the experience I’ve had is that we are a very creative and collaborative group of individuals working towards a common goal.
This sector is growing fast, which means there are always new and exciting projects on the horizon.
If there is something that you want to do, and you want to give back to defence, there is definitely a job out there for you.
What I love most about my job is being able to solve the problems that really matter, knowing that my work contributes to Australia’s national security and economic growth.
You don’t need to be in the armed forces or necessarily have experience in the defence industry in order to be successful and have a rewarding career. The industry is growing, well-funded and rampant with opportunity…I can’t see myself moving on anytime soon.
A lot of people study engineering and do very little engineering in their day to day role. I wanted to be doing calculations and getting my hands dirty in a work shop. I also wanted to be working at the forefront of technology development. This made defence the obvious choice.
I love the culture of our company and the tech we get to work with. The defence industry as a whole has so much to offer in terms of ground breaking technology. We get to develop really cool products and go out in the field testing them. It’s a really interesting industry with so many different aspects that can be worked on.
People should definitely consider a career in the defence industry, it takes all types to do the work that we do and there’s lots of opportunities for growth. Adelaide is not only a really nice place to live it’s a really fantastic place to work especially if you are in the defence industry.
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