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Welders work on a section of a footbridge being constructed along Epifanio Delos Santos Avenue (EDSA) in Kamuning, Quezon City on Thursday. The footbridge will be used as access to the center island bus lane being used for the government's Bus Augmentation Program.

Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News

Article (news)

Katrina Domingo

ABS-CBN News

PERTH, Australia — Job opportunities for skilled workers in the defense manufacturing sector are expected to increase in the near future as several countries bolster their defense spending to counter China’s growing aggression, an expert said on Wednesday.Some key players in Australia “see a growth on the defense portfolio in the short term” as the country is “considered as an extension of the US” under the AUKUS deal, said Carlos Fortuna, a former military personnel who is now working as a product manager for Hofmann Engineering’s defense portfolio.The AUKUS — a trilateral partnership among Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States — allows the US to utilize shipyards in the two other countries to build submarines and other related needs.“In the next couple of years, you will see the manufacturing of those things in areas that is not in China,” Fortuna told reporters.“The entry into the US market to support the supply chain in the US market will then translate into products, ships, services then will flood down to the South China Sea,” he said.This expected boom in the defense industry widens the opportunity for skilled workers, including Filipino welders, electricians and programmers, he said.“We do see quite a lot of expertise on the welding, electrical trade, QA and project management being supported in the Philippines,” Fortuna said.“We will probably see more companies going to areas like Subic Bay to develop capabilities and use their work forces available there,” he said.Hofmann Engineering — one of the biggest gear-making operations in the Southern Hemisphere — is looking to “expand the workforce” in the near future to meet the expected demand, said Karl Hofmann, operations engineer of Hofmann Engineering,“What we’ve seen is there is a demand. There has been a shift in desire to purchase these products… We do see that there is a lot of attention on Hofmann’s for defense products,” the third-generation Hofmann said.“The company is growing rapidly and we obviously need labor to support our growth,” he said in a separate interview.“We generally look across the globe and we look for the right person across the job,” he said.Despite this outlook, the Australian government has yet to tell the private sector what skills and products it would need in the run-up to the full implementation of AUKUS and in the race to beef up military forces to counter China’s growing aggression in the region.“I think the private sector in Australia is ready and eager but they do not necessarily have the clues or the demand understanding from the governments or their areas to get ready even faster,” Fortuna said.While waiting for more certainty in the market, skilled workers should earn certifications in welding, programming and electrical training to increase their chances of being hired in this industry, he said.“If you look at the capabilities in the mining sector for autonomy, for remote operations… that will then have flow on and conversion into defense capabilities,” he said.As of 2022, there are about 300,000 Filipinos residing in Australia, making them the fifth largest migrant community in the country, according to data from the Australian Department of Home Affairs.Between 2022 and 2023, the Australian government issued some 11,000 visas for Filipino skilled workers. Of this number, some 1,000 were for welders and metal fitter, data showed.“The Filipinos really have a good capability. I have worked with a lot of them… The capability is there,” Fortuna said.“We just need to train the generations because this is a multi-generational approach,” he said.

Job opportunities for skilled workers in the defense manufacturing sector are expected to increase in the near future as several countries bolster defense spending to counter China’s growing aggression, an expert said on Wednesday.

Job opportunities for skilled workers in the defense manufacturing sector are expected to increase in the near future as several countries bolster defense spending to counter China’s growing aggression, an expert said on Wednesday.

Demand for welders, engineers to grow as countries brace vs China’s aggression: expert

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Demand for welders, engineers to grow as countries brace vs China’s aggression: expert

Katrina Domingo,

ABS-CBN News

Published Nov 01, 2024 12:44 AM PHT

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Updated Nov 01, 2024 10:44 PM PHT

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