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The Defence Industry Leadership Program for 2025 has commenced and many of this year’s participants share the view that the future of the SA defence sector has never been brighter.
The program, now in its 15th year, has enrolled 35 of the defence industry’s brightest prospects who are poised to become key players in helping meet our AUKUS obligations. DILP is offered by the Defence Teaming Centre and is one of the 22 initiatives funded under the South Australian Defence Industry Workforce and Skills Action Plan. It is designed to nurture and elevate core leadership abilities within the distinctive context of Australia's defence industry.
2025 DILP participant Shannon Carbone from Nova Systems said she has always believed the SA defence sector is awash with opportunity and actively encourages all her friends and family to consider careers in defence.
“It’s both challenging and rewarding to know that you are contributing to the capability of our defence personnel to protect our nation,” said Ms. Carbone
Joanna Tsoukalas from Defence SA is also looking to capitalise on this opportunity to build a career that will allow her to contribute at a strategic level and lead larger teams.
“There is so much opportunity in SA now for a career in the defence industry and we need to build momentum to grow our workforce and deliver future capabilities,” explained Ms. Tsoukalas.
DILP is open to participants from across Australia, with South Australian applicants benefiting from a government subsidised rate for attendance. Its alumni include representatives of a broad range of organisations from Primes to SME’s and academia.
Deputy Premier and Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science Susan Close said:
“The South Australian Government is proud to support a larger, more diverse cohort of defence industry professionals to participate in this longstanding leadership program.”
“Along with a suite of other training and employment opportunities designed to attract and retain employees in the state’s fast-growing defence industry, this DTC program is building the expertise South Australia needs to deliver the major defence projects on our horizon.”
Lockheed Martin Australia’s Daniel Bryan believes DILP is part of his commitment to honour a family tradition.
“I come from a defence family. My father, uncle, grandfather and great grandfather all served in the military, and being a part of the defence industry is my way of giving back,” explained Mr. Bryan.
“Capability delivery is something we need in perpetuity to keep our service men and women safe and I feel there is a good career in that.”
This year’s course takes place between March and November on a part-time basis and is co-ordinated and delivered by the DTC in collaboration with registered training provider, Skills Lab, a SAGE Group company
Kian Ballard-Manning of Raytheon Australia joined the defence industry several years ago to contribute to the Land 19 program but now has his eyes firmly set on the expected growth of the industry.
“I joined DILP to be able to learn how to influence a group of people in a positive direction during problem solving exercises so as to find common direction within the group,” said Mr. Ballard-Manning.
“My goal is to eventually become chief engineer and DILP will provide me with many of the soft skills to deliver on such an important role.”
Through face-to-face workshops, and experiential learning, DILP allows its participants to acquire the skills and knowledge to effectively lead and manage multi-party collaborations and understand the complexity of the defence industry.
The course includes presentations from senior Defence and industry specialists, as well as engaging site visits. This year’s DILP cohort is comprised of participants from diverse backgrounds within the defence sector including Engineering, Commercial, R&D, Strategic Communication, Project Management, Procurement and Operations Management.
