Alan Griffin, Minister for Veterans' Affairs and Minister for Defence Personnel, today announced that 39 students from Western Australian feature amongst the 760 recipients of the Defence Technical Scholarships 2010. Mr Griffin said, "Three students from Bunbury Cathedral Grammar School and one from Kununurra District High School are examples of the scholarship recipients across WA receiving this highly competitive and prestigious award."

"The Australian Defence Force is not immune to the nation-wide shortage of skilled technical tradespeople, and through the Defence Technical Scholarships, the Australian Defence Force seeks to help keep young people at school longer so that they build a better foundation for a future trade career. The Defence Technical Scholarships seek to reward those students who are interested in pursuing a technical trade career once they finish school. Successful students will receive Scholarships of $2,000 for Year 11 or $3,000 for Year 12."

"In addition, during their Scholarship year, some students will get the opportunity to participate in Defence experiences, events, base and ship visits. Recipients are under no obligation to join the Australian Defence Force on completion of their Scholarship or schooling. These 39 winners should feel very proud of their achievements, and I strongly encourage technically-savvy students currently in Year 10 and Year 11 to consider applying for a Defence Technical Scholarship in 2011," Mr Griffin said.

More detailed information on the Scholarships can be found on the DefenceJobs home page: www.defencejobs.gov.au/DTS.