A recent report has drawn attention to the increasing shortage of engineering workers across the nation, revealing the skills demand is surpassing the number of annual graduates in the field.
Research from Engineers Australia has shown a labour shortfall in the engineering sector is impacting on the progression of lucrative projects integral to the nation’s economy.
“This has a range of workforce flow-on effect and has led to delays across a number of engineering and infrastructure projects,” Engineers Australia chief executive Stephen Durkin said today (August 9).
Figures from the latest Statistical Overview showed the rising demand was contribution to a changing workforce, with more than half of the country’s engineering employees migrants.
Since the 2003 to 2004 period, the number of overseas workers in engineering positions had tripled.
Mr Durkin asserted: “Relying on temporary skilled migration to fill engineering workforce gaps is not a sustainable policy approach. Engineers Australia would like to see government and industry moving towards long-term solutions for tackling the skills shortage.”
To address the nation’s skills shortage, there needed to an increased emphasis on training services to encourage more Australians into engineering programs, including adult apprenticeships.
“Investment in engineering education remains a priority area,” he added.
