The South Australian government has struck an employer partner agreement with Boeing Defence Australia to help design learning programs for the Heights Technical College ahead of its opening next year.
The college, one of five rolling out across the state by 2026, will offer industry training programs across defence and civil aviation, advanced manufacturing, construction and early childhood education.
It will be based near the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Edinburgh Air Base, which will also become home to a $200 million Deep Maintenance and Modification Facility for the nation’s fleet of P-8A Poseidon maritime surveillance aircraft next year.
South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas on Monday said the college will seek to address limited vocational pathways to entry-level roles, which will be vital for the specialist maintenance of the RAAF’s Boeing 737 variant.
“The opening of a massive new defence aircraft maintenance facility at Edinburgh in
2026 is going to create high quality, long-term careers in the highly technical area of
aeroskills,” he said.
“Not every child needs to go to university. We desperately need young people with a
desire to work on complex machinery to protect our nation.”
Boeing Defence Australia managing director Amy List added that more than 30 aircraft technician roles are expected to be needed over the next two years, requiring a “pipeline of candidates”.
As an employee partner with the college, Boeing will work with the state’s Department of Education on the “design of learning programs and the workplace experience needed for students to prepare themselves for a career in the industry”.
The Heights Technical College will feature a 270 degree wraparound projection screen covering three walls to create an immersive learning experience, as well as welding simulators, 3D printers and industry-standard software and equipment.
When completed in 2026, the college will be one of five technical colleges. The government has committed $208.8 million to the five colleges, with Findon Technical College the first to open to students at the start of 2024.
Four of the five colleges are currently under construction, including Tonsley Technical College — which also has several employer partnerships — and Port Augusta Technical College.
“These are not technical colleges of yesteryear,” Minister for Education, Training and Skills Blair Boyer said. “They are cutting-edge learning environments offering an education for the future…”
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