Graduates, apprentices and trainees will be recruited to maintain Australia's future nuclear-powered submarine fleet in an attempt to shore up the necessary workforce.
The federal government's initiative will allow submarine builder ASC Pty Ltd to hire about 200 entry-level workers over the next two years.
As part of Australia's trilateral agreement with the US and UK - known as AUKUS - up to five nuclear-powered submarines will have a presence at the HMAS Stirling naval base just south of Perth from as early as 2027.
The new roles will help sustain and maintain the fleet.
"We want to keep Australians safe," Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said.
"That's why WA will play a key role in building AUKUS. This will help promote peace and deterrence in the region and support local jobs."
The new jobs will span fabrication, machining, engineering, project management, supply chain and operations, and most will be based in WA.
Many young West Australians with these skills often enter the mining industry where jobs can be lucrative.
But Resources Minister Madeleine King said the submarine workforce would be an attractive option.
"These submarines and these ships ... they're highly technical, they're exciting crafts, and I think it is an alternative to the mining industry, which will always be such an important part of our economy," she told ABC radio on Monday.
About $8 billion will be spent on wharf upgrades, training facilities and supporting infrastructure at the WA naval base.
The government has also committed to funding more than 4000 Commonwealth-supported places in science, technology, engineering and mathematics bachelor degrees across 16 universities to nurture the future submarine workforce.
Across the nation, the submarine program is expected to create about 20,000 jobs over the next three decades.
The AUKUS plan aims to ensure eight nuclear-powered submarines will be in Australian service by the 2050s and could cost up to $368 billion.
