FIGHTER WORLD, Williamtown, Australia, 13^th December 2018 – Lockheed Martin Australia has announced a strategic partnership with Regional Development Australia (RDA) Hunter, as part of its commitment to investing in genuine opportunities for Australians in regional centres.

The partnership - aimed at developing high-value, job-ready skills needed to create, and sustain, advanced technologies for defence industry - was announced at the Lockheed Martin Australia Technology Expo 2018 held at Fighter World in Williamtown, NSW.

This initiative will connect Lockheed Martin Australia with local secondary schools, as well as vocational training and tertiary institutions, to inspire and mentor Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) learning and shape curricula to address the region’s projected STEM skills required to operate, sustain and maintain the 5^th Generation era of defence capability.

Lockheed Martin Australia is making an initial investment of more than $60,000 to support initiatives across the secondary, vocational and tertiary education continuum, specifically:

·       RDA Hunter will partner with Lockheed Martin Australia and TAFE NSW, under a new STEMStart initiative, to shape vocational education curriculum that will ensure a job-ready, highly skilled, high value workforce to support the industry technologies of the future. The program will enhance the vocational pathway for technical training to include critical skills in Cyber, ICT and programming and attract students to the expanding sector.

·       Lockheed Martin Australia will support curriculum development across relevant STEM-related University of Newcastle courses. Called Project Altitude Accord, this initiative will support the contextualisation of curriculum to develop a ‘5^th Generation’ technology-enabled workforce to support Lockheed Martin Australia’s future job requirements.

·       The unveiling of our Future Generation STEM interactive display which has been tailored to careers of the future and aims to take Year 7-10 students on a journey from today, into the future and beyond with a range of interactive educational activities.

Speaking at the official opening of the Lockheed Martin Australia Technology Expo 2018, Lockheed Martin Australia Chief Executive, Vince Di Pietro AM, CSC, reiterated the company’s commitment to working with industry and education providers.

“As home to Australia’s first squadron of highly advanced F-35 fighters and Australia’s largest regional economy, we understand the importance of the Hunter to our wider economic and national security interests,’ he said.

“We are actively working with RDA Hunter as an industry partner to raise the technology base in this region of Australia and to help develop the innovative Australian high technology businesses so that the Australian Defence Force and our future fleet of F-35s, remain at the leading edge of technology,” he said.

“It is Lockheed Martin Australia’s firm belief that, through greater awareness and positive engagement with industry technologies, more secondary school students will take-up STEM-related subjects and go on to pursue industry-related career pathways,” Di Pietro said.

RDA Hunter Chairman Mr John Turner said he was very pleased to publicly recognise RDA Hunter’s new partnership with Lockheed Martin Australia.

“Defence projects such as the F-35 deliver significant economic impact in the Hunter, bringing next-generation technology and related new, high-value, skilled jobs. RDA Hunter is delighted to collaborate with Lockheed Martin Australia to help STEM-skill students in preparation for these roles.”

“We look forward to sharing our knowledge and expertise with LMA and connecting them with the region’s wider defence industry, education and government to help build the workforce they need, while providing Hunter students with pathways to long-term career opportunities in the region.”

“We extend our thanks to the University of Newcastle and TAFE NSW Newcastle for their support in the delivery of the educational components of these new STEM focused defence industry activities.”

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About the Lockheed Martin Australia Technology Expo 2018 

·       On 13 December 2018, over 300 secondary students (Year 7-10) from the Hunter region will attend the Lockheed Martin Australia Technology Expo 2018 at Fighter World in Williamtown, NSW.

·       The centrepiece of this event is the Lockheed Martin Australia STEM interactive. It is an interactive installation which showcases the broad applications of STEM skills and how they apply to the careers of the future. In Australia for the first time, the experience uses Lockheed Martin’s technological advances in aviation technology and space exploration in an educational and enjoyable format to inspire the next generation of innovators, explorers, inventors and pioneers to pursue STEM careers.

·       Conceived by Lockheed Martin Australia and delivered in partnership with RDA Hunter, the Expo will build awareness of the broad and growing range of exciting industry and technology career pathways available.

·       Exhibitors at the Lockheed Martin Australia Technology Expo 2018 include Lockheed Martin Australia, BAE Systems, Boeing, Varley Group, Pennant as well as University of Newcastle.

About Lockheed Martin Australia

Headquartered in Canberra, Lockheed Martin Australia is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Lockheed Martin Corporation. The company employs more than 1,000 people in Australia working on a wide range of major programs spanning the aerospace, defence and civil sectors.

About RDA Hunter

RDA Hunter works with the three levels of government, industry, other RDAs and local communities to support the economic development of the Hunter. In collaboration with relevant stakeholders, entrepreneurs and emerging business leaders, RDA Hunter is exploring opportunities to sustain a strong local economy, create local jobs, attract investment, foster innovation and, by working with industry and educators, build the skilled workforce of the future.