Queensland's State Development minister Dr Anthony Lynham heads to Canberra next month to push Queensland's case for a $20 billion defence contract to build the next-generation armoured vehicles for the Australian Army and create new engineering jobs.

Queensland's "secret weapon" to win the contract is redirecting thousands of under-employed engineering, welding and heavy equipment staff who once worked in Queensland's resources industry.

State Development Minister Dr Anthony Lynham hopes to press Queensland's case for a $20 billion defence contract to build the Army's next-generation armoured vehicle. Credit:Tony Moore

Queensland's resources sector has lost around 20,000 jobs in the past two years, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

Now the Queensland Government wants to redirect many of these skilled staff to defence work if all, or part, of the $20 billion in defence contracts to be announced in early 2018, comes to Queensland.