Australia’s national defence landscape is undergoing significant transformation.The National Defence Strategy highlights a workforce crisis that must be addressed quickly given increasing global security challenges.Australia needs to strengthen sovereign capability and address this pressing shortage of skilled professionals within Australia’s defence forces and the defence industry more broadly. Exploring innovative initiatives to attract experienced professionals into the defence ecosystem, including from allied nations, is a key component of this strategic shift.
Among these initiatives is a promising pathway aimed at leveraging the expertise of veterans from Australia’s allies. Announced recently, this opens the door to non-Australian citizens serving in the defence force and holds good potential to enhance Australia’s defence capability and meet the industry's growing talent demands. Allied veteran recruitment is also a tactical move that aligns with the broader objectives of the AUKUS agreement to enhance defence capabilities through international collaboration.
The recently announced initiative is separate to the existing lateral transfer scheme. It will let the Australian Defence Force (ADF) recruit New Zealand (NZ) veterans initially, before expanding to include United Kingdom (UK), United States (US), and Canadian veterans who meet certain criteria, such as being a permanent resident of Australia and having not served in another military for at least two years. This represents a commendable step forward in addressing talent shortages in this highly competitive environment.
Domestically and internationally, Australia’s defence sector faces considerable barriers in meeting the demand for highly skilled professionals.Doing so is important for Australia’s national security and requires defence-related organisationsto rethink how they attract and retaintalent. This is particularly true in critical areas such as engineering, where Australia expects a shortfall of 200,000 engineers by 2040, as well as in cyber capabilities and advanced technologies.
The AUKUS agreement creates opportunities to leverage the latent talent in other countries’ veterans; for example, UK veterans who typically leave service at the height of their professional abilities.By tapping into this rich talent pool, Australia can go some way to mitigating the risks of talent scarcity. This strategic, forward-thinking approach to expanding Australia’s defence sector strengthens the ADF’s capabilities directly, and the private sector can also benefit from similar talent pathways.
ManpowerGroup is doing just this by actively developing parallel pathways into Australian private and public sector employment, initially for UK veterans.Engaging veterans in the private sector to support this initiative further strengthens Australia’s position in the global defence landscape and demonstrates the importance of cross-sector collaboration.
The benefits of an expanded Australian sovereign workforce are clear; however, there are challenges that must be overcome for this initiative to be successful, including visas and security clearances. The visa process and family support are key barriers which must be simplified to streamline recruitment. Giving families access to employment opportunities is vital for the overall attractiveness and effectiveness of this initiative, as well as to benefit the Australian economy.
Additionally, simplifying the security clearance process for allied veterans will ensure their swift integration into the workforce. The current security clearance process for allied veterans can be lengthy and complex, delaying their ability to start work and contribute effectively. Australia can accelerate the addition of skilled professionals and their families to building defence sovereign capabilities by addressing these barriers, letting them contribute meaningfully to the defence industry.
ManpowerGroup works with the defence sector closely to address the industry's unique workforce challenges. Its involvement in similar initiatives arms it with a deep understanding of thedefence sector’s specific needs and requirements. Crucially, ManpowerGroup has been instrumental in creating pathways for skilled veterans to transition into new roles, ensuring their valuable expertise is not lost. This experience makes ManpowerGroup ideally suited to support the integration of allied veterans into Australia’s defence sector, helping to enhance the nation's sovereign capability and address critical talent shortages.
Talent Solutions Defence & Aerospace, recently released a whitepaper titled “The AUKUS Workforce Solution” which explores the multitude of challenges facing the sector and provides a strategic, nine-point roadmap to guide businesses through the process of attracting and retaining top talent and driving AUKUS success.
