Early careers
Your future starts here
Our Early Careers Program provides a range of pathways to help launch your career, gain first-hand experience, and develop the knowledge and skills that could open up a world of opportunities.
Join us as a Graduate, Apprentice, Intern or Trainee for the chance to work on some truly inspiring projects.
We’ll give you the training you need to make the most of the skills you already have and to gain plenty of new ones. We’ll support you; we’ll empower you; we’ll listen to you. Because in a company that’s defined by innovation, the next big idea could be yours.
Early Careers participants gain access to additional perks including paid leave to attend exams and participate in further studies, as well as reimbursements for course materials, external studies and membership fees for relevant professional bodies. Participants will also be provided with a role-specific toolkit and have the opportunity to represent Babcock as a STEM Ambassador.
Choose a program to kick-start your career.
With meaningful work that supports communities and a safer world, you’ll understand the impact of your contribution and feel proud of the difference you make.
Graduate Program
Our Graduate Program is designed to provide you with the skills, knowledge, and experience needed to kick-start your career in an exciting and diverse environment.
Babcock’s Graduate Program is run over two (2) years, and focuses on building your capability through blended learning and development focused on technical, leadership, business enabling skills.
From day one you’ll be part of our community of business and industry leaders who are challenging the status quo. Our working environment is all about collaboration and you will become an integral part of helping us solve important problems together. Options are individually tailored to your skills and developmental needs, business requirements and individual preferences.
Following the successful completion of the program, you will be placed into a position within the business so that you can continue growing your prosperous career.
Areas of study:
- Engineering – Mechanical, Electronics, Electrical, Systems, Software, Mechatronic Engineering and Naval Architecture.
- Project Management – Project Management, Business, Commerce, Economics and Construction.
- Health Safety & Environment – Environmental Science, Environmental Management, Environmental Engineering.
- Procurement and Supply Chain – Procurement, Supply Chain and Logistics.
- Other – Commerce, Finance, Business, Law, Business Management, IT, Computer Science, Journalism, Media, Politics or International Relations.
The program provides a collaborative and engaging work environment that bridges the gap between formal education and the workplace.
Opportunity Locations:
- Adelaide, South Australia
- Melbourne, Victoria
- Perth, Western Australia
- Auckland, New Zealand
Internships
Our Internships provide an opportunity for students in their penultimate year of university a chance to gain real-life experience in their chosen field, before they graduate from their studies.
Our paid Internship Program runs for twelve (12) weeks during November to February. This program provides opportunities to get real on-the-job experience with diverse teams who will support, encourage and help you build your technical and enabling skills.
Through your own curiosity, you will build your own professional network with a range of technical experts and graduates.
Following the successful completion of the program, Babcock will discuss career pathway opportunities as an undergraduate or securing a placement onto the following Graduate Program.
Areas of study:
- Engineering – Mechanical, Electronics, Electrical, Systems and Manufacturing
- Project Management – Project Management, Business, Commerce, Economics and Construction
- Operational Excellence – Business Management, Business Administration, Computer Science, Mathematics, Statistics, Procurement, Supply Chain and Logistics
- Health Safety & Environment – Environmental Science, Environmental Management, Environmental Engineering
- Procurement & Supply Chain
- Other – Commerce, Finance, Business, Law, Business Management, IT, Computer Science, Journalism, Media, Politics or International Relations.
This can be a springboard into the Graduate Program (note: this is not guaranteed and will be based on performance).
Locations
- Adelaide, South Australia
- Melbourne, Victoria
- Perth, Western Australia
- Auckland, New Zealand
Apprenticeships
Join Babcock as an apprentice to develop skills through hands-on experience combined with external training.
Our Apprenticeship Program provides a practical, hands on pathway into some of the most in demand trades within Marine and Aviation. Over four years, apprentices gain valuable experience, develop technical skills, and work alongside highly skilled professionals, all while earning, learning and contributing to real projects.
We offer apprenticeships across a wide range of trades, including: Fabrication, Mechanical (Marine Fitter, Fitter Diesel), Electrical Fitter, Painting, Plumbing, Marine Trimming, Rigging, B1 Mechanical (Aircraft Maintenance Engineer) and B2 Avionics (Aircraft Maintenance Engineer).
These trades support the diverse needs of our business and the wider industry, giving apprentices the opportunity to build meaningful and futureproofed careers.
Apprentices build their skills progressively over four years, moving from foundational tasks to more complex, independent work. By the end of the program, apprentices are fully qualified in their trade and ready for the next step in their career.
What the 4 Year Program looks like
- On the job training with experienced mentors.
- Practical learning across real world projects.
- Formal study and assessments toward a recognised qualification.
- Progress checkpoints and support from our Early Careers team.
Shipbuilding Employment Pathways (SEP) Program
Develop skills through hands-on experience combined with external training.
The Shipbuilding Employment Pathways (SEP) Program is a 4 year South Australian-based program designed to recruit apprentices for critical roles in the nuclear-powered submarine and naval shipbuilding industries. It offers nationally accredited training through TAFE SA, providing hands-on experience in trades like fabrication, mechanical engineering, and electrotechnology.
Apprentices will graduate with a nationally recognised qualification in their chosen trade, as well as unique experiences and non-accredited training offered only to nuclear powered submarine and naval shipbuilding and sustainment Pathway program participants.
As the Group Training Organisation, PEER will employ and manage apprentices and facilitate host placements and non-accredited training for the SEP.
Traineeships
Develop skills through hands-on experience and training.
Defence Industry Pathways Program (DIPP)
The Defence Industry Pathways Program (DIPP) is a 12-month paid traineeship that awards graduates with a Certificate III in Defence Industry Pathways. This program provides hands-on training and experience across various sectors of the defence industry, including manufacturing and engineering, computing, logistics, procurement, technical drawing and computer-aided design.
DIPP is available in South Australia and Western Australia, working for Group Training Organisations. DIPP enables trainees to gain a broad understanding of the various career pathways available in nuclear powered submarine programs and naval shipbuilding and sustainment, whilst also providing vocational training across several critical skills areas required by the defence industry.
DIPP trainees attend block training at TAFE campuses and gain valuable real-world experience with work placements with defence industry partners throughout the program, preparing trainees for diverse and rewarding career pathways within the sector.
Discover how far we can go, together.
Meet our team at an upcoming careers event
Disciplines
Expect to work on a diverse range of projects across our organisation – from design and construction to in service support, maintenance and capability enhancement initiatives. Whatever the project, you’ll play a key role in identifying and managing risks, understanding stakeholder needs, and ensuring the work is planned and delivered on time and within budget.
As you progress, you’ll collaborate closely with teams across engineering, commercial, finance and procurement. Building these strong cross functional relationships is essential because delivering a successful project means balancing technical outcomes, stakeholder expectations and financial performance.
With this professional network behind you, you’ll have the support, insight and confidence to take on new challenges, grow your capability and contribute to projects that make a real impact.
As part of a multi disciplinary team, you’ll take a systems wide view; understanding not just the software itself, but how it interacts with the broader system architecture and its interfaces. Your work could span an impressive range of projects: from developing something as compact and precise as an audio console for a communications system, to contributing to large scale solutions like handling systems on world class vessels.
You’ll be involved in the full software lifecycle, from design and specification through to implementation, integration and testing. You’ll gain hands on experience with complex systems, collaborate with specialists across multiple disciplines, and see how your work directly supports the performance and reliability of critical capability.
You’ll be exposed to a wide range of activities, working on everything from analysing resistance and propulsion to exploring vessel access and arrangement, or contributing to the detailed design of hull forms and stability systems. What’s certain is that you’ll be learning from some of the most respected naval architects in the world.
You’ll develop the skills to analyse and design key aspects of floating platforms, including structures, stability, hydrodynamics, propulsion and overall vessel performance. And you won’t just be observing; you’ll make meaningful contributions to real projects from day one.
Previous graduates have supported work on naval ships, submarines, small craft and offshore platforms. They’ve helped shape unmanned surface vessel support solutions and contributed to early stage engineering for next generation submarine concepts. With every project, you’ll gain deeper insight, new skills and the confidence to take on the most exciting challenges in naval architecture.
Find yourself working on everything from mechanical design through to manufacture, installation and even decommissioning. You may also take on analytical and problem solving tasks for existing equipment and systems, helping to improve performance, safety and reliability. What’s certain is that you’ll gain plenty of onsite experience, from implementing designs to resolving installation challenges and working closely with designers and office based engineers to ensure solutions are practical and effective.
You’ll also build capability in project management, engaging with stakeholders, planning delivery and helping to keep projects on schedule and within budget. By building broad, practical capability across the full project lifecycle, you’ll set yourself up for a strong and versatile engineering career.
Working in a discipline as essential as electrical engineering means your opportunities are incredibly broad. You could contribute to submarine design, support the refit of major warships, or help enhance high frequency communications systems for defence customers. The scope of work is vast, as are the career possibilities.
Day to day, you might be involved in electrical power distribution, control and instrumentation, working across both analogue and digital systems. Our graduates gain hands on experience in every stage of the engineering lifecycle, from concept design and AutoCAD layouts to testing, installation, commissioning and final handover to clients.
As you develop, you may even take on project management responsibilities or lead your own team, giving you the confidence and capability to shape real outcomes in complex engineering environments. With every project, you’ll build the technical depth and real world experience needed to thrive in some of the most advanced electrical engineering environments in the industry.
A Commercial placement could take you into multiple parts of our business. You may be managing elements of major bids, supporting commercial contracts including their legal components, or driving governance and compliance activities. You could also help identify and shape new opportunities as part of our ambitious business development teams across our sectors in Aviation, Land, Nuclear and Marine.
As you build your understanding of how we operate and where your strengths lie, you’ll have the opportunity to specialise in an area that aligns with your interests, capability and long term career goals. Ultimately, you’ll build the expertise and direction you need to step into a role where you can add real value from day one.
You’ll have the opportunity to work across our regional operations, contributing to the development of Procurement & Supply Chain strategy and supporting our delivery programs directly on the ground alongside operations teams across Australia and New Zealand. Working alongside highly experienced leaders in the aerospace and defence sector, your work could involve helping secure major contract awards, negotiating value focused agreements and coordinating equipment delivery for critical programs.
You’ll gain exposure to professionals across our Marine, Aviation, Mission Systems and Nuclear sectors, who bring deep technical and commercial expertise and are ready to support and guide you on your journey, setting you up for success from day one. You’ll also be part of Babcock’s global Procurement & Supply Chain community, giving you the chance to broaden your experience as your capability and career aspirations grow. By embracing these opportunities, you’ll build a career that’s not only commercially strong but globally connected.
Finance plays a critical role in enabling our organisation to deliver essential defence capability. We support project, engineering, commercial and operational teams with reliable financial insight, strong governance and strategic decision-making, ensuring we contribute to Australia’s defence mission with integrity and impact.
Our team spans Adelaide, Perth, Sydney, Melbourne and Auckland, and operates across four core areas: Operational Finance, Financial Control, Reporting and Bid Finance. Graduates rotate through these areas, gaining hands-on experience from day one. You’ll work with real project teams, access modern tools such as Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems and Power BI, and be supported by mentoring, coaching and a collaborative culture focused on learning, inclusion and continuous improvement.
A career in Finance offers variety, purpose and clear progression, with opportunities to contribute to meaningful national capability from your very first rotation.
Corporate Affairs is a strategic business function and plays a pivotal role in enhancing, shaping and protecting Babcock’s brand and reputation. Key aspects include reputation management (through strategic communication and crisis management), stakeholder engagement, government and public affairs, media and communications, marketing and Babcock’s social investment agenda.
You’ll work across the Government & Public Policy and Stakeholder Engagement teams, acting as a trusted advisor and contributing to the development of key campaigns and engagement activities in line with the business’ strategic agenda. You will gain exposure to developing public policy positions for Babcock’s leaders’ and spokespeople, conduct research and analysis on emerging issues and stay informed of parliamentary and government activities and Defence priorities.