Qantas has officially opened enrollment for the Qantas Group Safety Academy, the country’s first dedicated safety education program created in collaboration with Griffith University and RMIT University. The first classes kick off in January 2026.
The Academy combines Griffith and RMIT universities’ teaching skills with Qantas’ decades of experience in aviation safety to train the next generation of safety professionals.
Graduates will work in high-risk fields like energy, mining, healthcare, and construction, as well as aviation.
Students can start with four micro-credentials, which are short online courses that last six to twelve weeks. The first classes cover useful topics like understanding how people act in dangerous situations, how to analyze and manage risk, making smart decisions under pressure, how to lead with ethical safety principles, and creating strong safety cultures.
Students can opt to take one course or all four, depending on what they want to learn and what they plan to professionally pursue.
The Academy plans to add eight more micro-credentials in 2026, based on early participants’ feedback.
Qantas said that in the future, the program will add postgraduate degrees and eventually, advanced research programs. This will create a complete path for professional development and safety education.
The Australian flag carrier commenced its partnership with the renowned Australian universities in 2024, with the goal of establishing a national first safety academy to upskill professionals across all high reliability sectors in Australia.
RMIT will partner with @Qantas and @Griffith_Uni to establish a national first safety academy to upskill professionals across all high reliability sectors in Australia and help develop a new national standard to support #safety critical industries ✈️ https://t.co/1NlJEzHzGa pic.twitter.com/r6jbla1nkB
— RMIT University (@RMIT) October 23, 2024
“We’re incredibly proud to be leading this Australian-first initiative in partnership with Griffith University and RMIT University. The lessons we’ve learned about safety culture, risk management, and human factors have been refined over decades of operation in one of the world’s most safety-critical industries,” Qantas Group CEO Vanessa Hudson said.
“These principles are universal, whether you’re working in aviation, healthcare, mining, or any other industry. By establishing the Safety Academy we’re committed to helping develop the next generation of safety leaders who understand that safety isn’t about compliance, but about creating a culture where people are empowered to lead, innovate, and look out for one another,” Hudson concluded.
