City College Plymouth and South Metropolitan TAFE Announce Historic Global Collaboration

City College Plymouth and South Metropolitan TAFE (Western Australia) are proud to announce the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) establishing a landmark global partnership to strengthen defence technical education and skills development across the United Kingdom and Australia.

The collaboration reflects a shared commitment to supporting national and international defence educational priorities, including the objectives of the AUKUS initiative, which places skills, workforce capability and industrial readiness at the centre of long-term defence cooperation between the UK, Australia and the United States.

The partnership provides a framework for collaboration aligned to the UK’s Defence Industrial Strategy and Western Australia’s defence industry workforce priorities. It will support the development of high-quality, industry-aligned technical education pathways that respond to the evolving needs of defence employers and their supply chains. 

Through the MoU, both institutions will work together to align defence technical training curriculums with employer competence requirements. The collaboration will explore joint curriculum development, staff professional development, and coordinated engagement with defence employers, government bodies and prime contractors operating across international defence programmes.

South Metropolitan TAFE leads the Defence Industry Skills Centre of Excellence, a nationally significant initiative supporting the training needs of Australia’s defence and maritime industries. City College Plymouth brings internationally recognised expertise in marine, maritime and advanced technical education, underpinned by its role in providing defence skills development in the South West of England. Together, the partnership creates a strong platform for international cooperation in defence education and workforce development.

The collaboration aims to support employer workforce pipelines and student progression into defence sector roles, and contribute to the long-term sustainability of defence skills across allied nations.

Jackie Grubb, Chief Executive of City College Plymouth, said:

“This historic partnership with South Metropolitan TAFE marks a significant step forward in global collaboration on defence skills. By working together across borders, we can share knowledge and best practices, strengthen technical education pathways, and ensure our students are equipped with the skills required to support critical defence programmes linked to AUKUS and beyond.”

Darshi Ganeson, Managing Director at South Metropolitan TAFE, added:

“This partnership allows us to learn from international partners, share knowledge and continue to improve how we prepare students for real jobs in defence and defence related industries.

“It will help ensure students receive training that is relevant, practical and aligned to industry needs. For South Metropolitan TAFE students, that means training that stays current, clear pathways into employment, and skills that are valued by industry.”