Defence Scholarships Available To Help Tech. Trade Students

Defence Scholarships Available To Assist Students In Technical Trades

The Minister for Defence Science and Personnel, Warren Snowdon, today launched a program which is giving hundreds of Year 11 and Year 12 students across Australia a chance to secure a Defence technical trades scholarship.

The 2011 Defence Technical Scholarships program is now taking applications and offers up to 1500 scholarships each year to students in Years 11 and 12 interested in pursuing a technical trade career in the Australian Defence Force.

Speaking at the Australian Trade College, North Brisbane, Mr Snowdon said the initiative, now entering its third year, offers high school students some great opportunities.

“This is a unique award, as it’s still the only large scale scholarship targeting students wishing to learn a trade whilst still at school.

“Students in Year 11 and 12 receive financial support to learn a trade, and at the same time they’re encouraged to stay and complete their senior school years, so it’s a win-win situation.

“The Defence Technical Scholarships program seeks to address the national shortage of technical trade qualified people within the Australian workforce and demonstrates Defence’s commitment to compete for its fair share of them,” Mr Snowdon said.

Mr Snowdon originally launched the initiative in 2008, and since then he said it’s been a tremendous success.

“The Australian Government’s commitment can be seen in the results over the past two years. In fact over the two years of the program we have awarded in excess of 1300 scholarships.

“These scholarships represent more than 1,300 people who have stayed at school for an extra year, who have studied technical subjects appropriate for technical training and employment and, have demonstrated a real and genuine interest in subsequent employment within Defence in a technical area.

“Further, more than 200 scholarship recipients and 30 school teachers and Career Guidance Counsellors have participated in Defence Experience tours as a directly related activity to better inform participants of the opportunities open to them.

“It is a pleasure, and highly appropriate, that I launch the 2011 Program at the Australian Trade College given their lead across Australia with eight scholarship recipients in 2009 and 15 last year,” he said.

Member for Petrie Yvette D'Ath said it was fitting the 2011 program was launched at the Australian Trade College as the most successful school in the country last year.

"The ATC North Brisbane has demonstrated its outstanding drive to succeed with a series of awards since their inception and led the country in 2010 with 15 Defence technical trades scholarships," Mrs D'Ath said.

"I congratulate the college on its success and encourage students to get involved in this program."

To be eligible for the $2000 scholarship in Year 11 and $3000 scholarship in Year 12, students need to be studying Maths and English and a vocational or syllabus technical trade subject and demonstrate a genuine interest in joining the Australian Defence Force at the end of their schooling.

“Importantly, there is no obligation on scholarship recipients to enter the Australian Defence Force so, even if you are not 100 per cent convinced of your desire to join, you can still receive a scholarship.”

“Applications close on 11 March and require the support of the schools to be progressed, so don’t delay,” Mr Snowdon said.

ENDS

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