Federal funding for facts on the engineering skills shortage
Engineers Australia, the peak body for the engineering profession, has welcomed today’s announcement by the Deputy Prime Minister, the Hon Julia Gillard, of Federal Government funding for urgent research that will underpin a range of initiatives to confront Australia’s growing shortage of engineering professionals.
The Chief Executive of Engineers Australia, Peter Taylor, said, “For many years Engineers Australia has been calling for more action to counter the inertia to increase the professional engineering skills base that is now looming as a huge constraint on further economic development of Australia.
“The requirements for engineering expertise are only set to increase as more key infrastructure, resource and nation building projects get underway.
“The announcement by the Federal Government to provide funding through the Australian National Engineering Taskforce to get on with the job of compiling the facts to face-up to the increasingly dire outlook for building professional engineering skills capacity is most welcome.
“Engineers Australia’s own research has pointed to a significant gap in the number of graduating engineers relative to the level needed for the current construction and other engineering activity being undertaken in the Australian economy.
“While migration programs and uncapped university places for engineering are part of the solution, longer-term strategies are needed to ensure that all school students gain a broad base in the enabling sciences to take-up the opportunity to become an engineer.
“The number of students studying advanced maths and science needs to be increased, particularly female students who are severely underrepresented compared to other professions.
“In joining with our four partner organisations through the Australian National Engineering Taskforce (ANET), and now with the strong backing for ANET by the Federal Government, there is some reassurance that actions will be fast-tracked to deliver the strong and extensive professional engineering skills base that Australia must have for the future,” Peter Taylor concluded.
Further Information: John Bright - 0407 234 490 / jbright@engineersaustralia.org.au Engineers Australia is the common name of the Institution of Engineers, Australia with a membership 90,000.
