As governments across Australia announce record infrastructure spending, the consulting industry has warned that engineering skills shortages will continue to constrain Australia’s growth and limit innovation.
Australia’s ability to design and deliver an estimated $400 billion in infrastructure projects over the coming decade is under threat, according to Consult Australia’s annual Engineering Skills Survey.
“The survey results show that a skills shortage of engineers definitely still exists in the consulting industry,” Consult Australia CEO Megan Motto said.
“Despite the downturn following the GFC, the shortage is back just as strong as ever, demonstrating that the global shortage of engineers is a systemic problem.”
According to the survey, three quarters of firms reported that they were experiencing critical shortages.
Importantly, industry recruitment still continues as pipeline work provides a significant amount of buoyancy to the industry.
Continued recruitment can also be attributed to ambitious public sector infrastructure programs and the resulting requirement for design and construction professionals in key disciplines.
Motto said the number of engineering graduates had stagnated over the last decade, contributing to the problem.
“There is tremendous concern within the industry about the continued shortages of professional and paraprofessional engineering staff in Australia, especially when governments have announced record infrastructure spending.”
Motto said governments and industry must continue to work together to provide practical solutions to the skills shortages.
Consult Australia has both short and long-term strategies in place to address the skills crisis.