National Security

TAFE Centre of Excellence

Our Work

The National Security TAFE Centre of Excellence (the Centre) is a major investment in Australia’s future security, resilience, and sovereign capability.

Established through a partnership between the Australian and South Australian Governments under the National Skills Agreement, the Centre has been created to help build the skilled workforce needed to respond to Australia’s rapidly evolving national security environment.

As cyber security threats increase, geopolitical uncertainty grows, and pressures on critical infrastructure and global supply chains intensify, Australia requires a workforce equipped with the technical, operational, and digital capabilities to meet emerging challenges.

The Centre brings together industry, government, and education partners. In doing so, the Centre reflects the TAFE SA commitment to working as one — fostering collaboration across sectors to deliver shared national outcomes, and to co-design training solutions that align with current and future workforce needs.

Through industry-informed curriculum development, applied research, and investment in modern training environments, the Centre will focus on doing what matters to deliver practical, job-ready skills that strengthen national capability and support workforce growth across critical industries.

The National Security TAFE Centre of Excellence is helping build the workforce capability Australia needs to respond to emerging security challenges and strengthen sovereign capability.

cyber security

Our Priorities

The Centre will focus on workforce capability development across a range of national security priority areas, including:

  • cyber security and cyber resilience
  • critical infrastructure protection
  • defence industry skills and advanced manufacturing
  • intelligence, data analysis, and digital capabilities.

By strengthening capability across these priority areas, the Centre will support:

  • a highly skilled, job-ready workforce
  • increased industry capability and productivity
  • stronger national resilience and preparedness
  • growth in sovereign capability across critical industries
  • better alignment between training and emerging workforce demand
Centre of Excellence - National Security - Workshop

The Centre will also foster a culture where people are encouraged to step up — embracing innovation, leadership, and continuous improvement to respond to evolving national security challenges.

The Centre will play a leading role in shaping best practice vocational education and training for the national security sector.

By connecting policy, industry, and education, the Centre of Excellence will help strengthen Australia’s preparedness, resilience, and security for the future.

National Security TAFE Centre of Excellence to launch National Security Mindset short course

The National Security TAFE Centre of Excellence will officially launch its new National Security Mindset short course on 7 October 2026 at the TAFE SA Adelaide City Campus.

The event will showcase how the Centre is supporting the development of a skilled, security-aware workforce and strengthening Australia’s sovereign capability. The National Security Mindset course has been developed to give tradespeople, technicians and apprentices the practical knowledge and awareness they need to recognise potential security threats, adopt protective practices and understand how their day-to-day roles contribute to protecting critical technologies, infrastructure and Australia’s national interests.

Led by TAFE SA, the National Security TAFE Centre of Excellence is focused on developing innovative training, applied research and workforce capabilities that support Australia’s sovereign capability, critical technologies and infrastructure.

The launch marks an important step in embedding a national security mindset across Australia’s technical workforce and supporting the people who play a vital role in protecting the nation’s critical capabilities.

secured door

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Innovation

    • What role does research play in the Centre?

      Through internal capability and research partnerships, the Centre undertakes applied research, industry engagement, and skills analysis to identify future workforce requirements and inform training development.

    • What are "critical technologies"?


      Critical technologies are technologies that are essential to Australia's security, prosperity, and economic resilience, such as quantum technologies, advanced manufacturing, microelectronics, and high-performance computing. The Centre has an early focus on metrology, dimensional control, automation, design, additive manufacturing, and electronics assembly.

    • How will the Centre stay responsive to emerging threats and technologies?


      The Centre works closely with industry, government, research organisations, and education partners to continuously identify and respond to changing needs. The Centre is conducting research and training on the development of a national security mindset pilot and will continue to consider chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear requirements.

We acknowledge the traditional owners of the lands on which TAFE SA stands.


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