Training and development
Defence wants Australian Defence Force (ADF) members to succeed in their current and future roles. A diverse range of funded development options are offered that will help members grow personally and professionally. This includes access to formal and informal training and education opportunities, with the option to gain industry recognised qualifications. Defence provides training and development members need for their chosen ADF careers, while building transferrable skills to use in future roles, including those that might be outside of Defence.
All members of the workforce should have the opportunity to access formal and informal training opportunities. Commanders have a positive bias in response to a request for training or development.
More information on the training opportunities identified below, as well as other opportunities available, is available on the Defence intranet Employee Value Proposition Hub.
- Defence Assisted Study Scheme.
- The Defence Strategic Studies Course is a 46 week residential course at the Australian War College for senior military officers.
- Defence funds Australian Defence Force Academy postgraduate places at the University of New South Wales Canberra.
- The Chief of Defence Force Fellowship supports innovative research that contributes to achieving Defence strategic initiatives and is open to all members who can demonstrate their capacity to undertake one year of postgraduate research on a subject of strategic relevance to Defence.
- Australian Command and Staff course is a 47 week residential course at the Australian War College for mid-career military officers.
- Australian War College courses are a range of courses run by the Australian War College including Advanced Technology for Strategists, Public Policy and Thinking Strategically.
- ADF Training Centre offer a range of short courses collectively focused on the delivery of joint individual training. The centre runs the ADF Peace Operations Training Centre, the ADF Warfare Training Centre, the Defence International Training Centre, the Defence Force School of Languages, the Defence Force Chaplin's College and Languages Other than English Capability Cell.
- Members may also be able to access corporately-funded places at executive development programs run through a range of providers including the Australian National University National Security College.
- Civil schooling provides members the opportunity to undertake approved courses at tertiary institutions in order to gain employment specific qualifications, or to support their military and professional career development.
Other learning and development opportunities include a range of service specific leadership and management programs.
Members can also access online learning through a range of different tools and platforms, such as:
- LXP - a personalised learning experience platform for learning anywhere, anytime.
- Adele - an Australian Defence education learning environment.
Members can access relevant service specific professional military education platforms, such as:
- The Forge is an online hub designed to help build and hone the intellectual edge of those involved in the Profession of Arms.
- The Cove is Army’s professional military education platform.
- Runway is a professional development portal focused on assisting Air Force members with their professional military education by providing daily links to relevant and up-to-date articles.
- Horizon is Navy’s professional development platform providing access to professional resources and promoting discussion within the maritime domain.
Career management
Members' time in Defence can be that of growth and opportunity. As a large organisation, Defence offers a variety of diverse opportunities that mean members can have an entire career full of unique and exciting opportunities without having to leave Defence. Defence supports opportunities for training, development and reskilling for multiple roles throughout a member's career. If someone starts as a capability analyst but sees their future as a communications manager then Defence can support this transition.
There’s also a range of mentoring and coaching programs, to help members understand how they can enhance their current skills and learn from others in Defence.
For more information, members should discuss opportunities with their chain of command and relevant career management agency.
Posting and deployment
Defence also offers exciting opportunities for travel and adventure, through posting, deployment and secondment opportunities in Australia and overseas.