Nicholas is an extreme engineer, maintaining, fixing and building hi-tech electronics for Australia’s naval submarines
From a young age, we’re told that water and electronics don’t mix. At worst, electricity in water can be deadly. At best, water causes corrosion and short circuits in electronic equipment.
It’s no surprise then that electronics technicians on the Royal Australian Navy’s six Collins Class submarines are extremely important. They keep submarines’ high-tech systems running smoothly, ensuring this formidable element of Australia’s Defence capability is always ready for action.
“I maintain and repair electronics equipment such as communications equipment, underwater sensors and combat systems on our submarines,” explains Nicholas. “It’s an exciting and interesting career.”
A different path
Nicholas took a winding path to his career, travelling and working in hospitality and retail management first. But he always had an interest in mechanics and electronics, and saw the electronic technician submariner role as an action-packed opportunity to develop his skills and experience, and gain new qualifications. Now, he’s working on a project to make surveying the outside of submarines safer.
Currently, divers have to get in the water to examine the hull. There they face a challenging environment, with heavy dangerous equipment bobbing around them and narrow openings hampering their work. The solution?
“We are building underwater drones to survey under our submarines instead,” he says. His advice to a young person considering STEM + Defence is simple: “Just do it! Where else will you get to see the world and have your training paid for?”
Nicholas’s pathway
- Application through Defence Force Recruiting and initial training
- Electronics Technician Initial Technical Training
- Specialisation Training
- National Qualifications of Certificate IV in Electronics and Communications
- Electronic technician submariner, ADF
This article was originally published in the special edition of Careers with STEM: Defence.
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