A significant engineering shortage is threatening Australia’s progress and national security. But this innovative program is paving the way for resolution.
Australia’s ongoing engineering skills shortage is having far-reaching consequences for the economy, impacting our innovation capacity and the quality of life of all Australians.
There are also several key national priorities that need to be addressed with a limited supply pool of engineering skills and capacity.
“We’re facing record levels of public infrastructure spend and increasing demand for engineers in terms of systems engineering and network engineering to mitigate cyber threats, address gaps in defence capabilities, and accelerate Australia’s sovereign manufacturing capability,” said Michael Luddeni, Group Executive, Operations and Assessment, Engineers Australia.
Adapting across sectors
Another issue the nation is facing is the transfer of engineering skills as certain sectors wax while others wane.
For example, In Victoria, an upcoming shift in transport infrastructure will see projects transform from the peak of the Big Build era down to a more sustainable level, said Dr Scott Taylor, Director, Engineering at Major Road Projects Victoria.
“About 10 to 15 years ago, we had to go through a transition to get engineers into transport, because there just weren’t enough,” he said. “And now we’re trying to give the engineers that were in transport opportunities in other sectors.”
The energy space is where most engineers across Australia will transition to, Taylor predicts. “It’s very much about the climate change transition and moving to greener infrastructure,” he added.
When engineers transition to a different sector, two skills components need to be considered.
“We’ve got the technical skills and disciplines [including] engineering, maths and physics,” he said. “But then we’ve also got core skills around leadership, digital knowledge, communication and working in groups.”
While the underlying engineering skills remain more or less the same across sectors, the challenge for engineers is the development of core skills at the right breadth.
“Being a good engineer requires all those core skills to help you adapt your technical skills in a new environment,” Taylor said.
Bridging the skills gap
There are several solutions to bridge these skills gaps, including boosting the number of domestic engineering graduates, retaining more engineers in the profession and increasing female participation in the engineering workforce.
Importantly, skilled migrants are a labour force that have already received the required skills and training, said Professor Robert Pike, Provost and Senior Vice President at La Trobe University.
“Only 50 per cent of skilled migrant engineers in Australia can actually secure employment due to barriers such as lack of local workplace knowledge, experience and references,” he said.
“[But] what we’re seeing from employers is that it’s not so much about a lack of skilled migrants, it’s about suitability for the roles that they need to fill,” Luddeni said.
To address this, La Trobe University has partnered with Engineers Australia to provide training for skilled migrant engineers – preparing them for Australian workplaces.
The Industry-Integrated Master of Engineering is a specialised industry-based program designed to integrate migrant engineers who achieved their qualifications overseas into Australian industry.
“Our unique Industry-Integrated Master of Engineering program will bridge the gap between migrant engineers and local industry demands,” Pike said.
“This one-year course will enhance the qualifications of overseas trained engineers by combining academic rigour with practical industry experience.”
During the program, participants will work with partner companies for 800 hours to gain practical experience and workplace knowledge while working on genuine engineering projects.
“They will undertake a tailored curriculum that has been developed to address the unique challenges migrant engineers encounter in the Australian job market, and they will benefit from a mentoring and networking program designed to provide guidance and support [while] facilitating pathways to accelerated career opportunities,” he said.
“La Trobe University’s … program is the sweet spot where big opportunities can be created.” Luddeni added.
It is through working with partners and solving problems collaboratively that issues such as the engineering skills shortage can be solved.
“The initiative we’re launching would not be possible without the collaboration of Engineers Australia and our industry partners,” Pike said. “We look forward to working more with government and industry stakeholders to expand the program in the years ahead.”
