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Government of South Australia - Department of State Development

    Defence Industry Pathways Program: Alanna's story

    After 18 years working at a supermarket, 33-year-old Alanna Boyd was eager for change.

    Alanna's success

    “I felt my journey there was over,” Alanna said. “I wasn’t growing anymore, and I wanted to explore other options before I felt it was too late.”

    An online search led her to South Australia’s Defence Industry Pathways Program (DIPP), completely reshaping her view of defence careers and revealing opportunities she never imagined.

    “When I did more research, I realised the defence industry is huge – there’s recruitment, logistics, cybersecurity, and so much more” she said.

    One visit to the Osborne shipyard clarified her personal career interests: “This traineeship helps you quickly find what suits you best.”

    Alanna soon found her niche in human resources at Babcock Australasia, drawing on her previous retail experience.

    “I’ve been lucky to start in recruitment. I’ve brought my hiring and training skills from Coles and discovered I really enjoy that aspect of defence work.”

    “Even my partner is now considering applying. When I describe what I do, it opens people’s eyes to opportunities they didn’t even know existed.”

    Alanna

    Andrew Cridland, CEO, Babcock Australasia said “South Australia is poised to play a pivotal role in safeguarding Australia’s national interests, and initiatives such as the SEP and DIPP programs are a vital step toward building our future workforce. Our active involvement in both programs reflects our dedication to fostering a capable and emerging defence workforce and our aspiration to be the employer of choice in the defence industry.”

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    Explore the current defence industry opportunities for workers and job seekers