Lead organisation for Australia's engineering team welcomes Senate Committee's focus on skills and infrastructure
The announcement of the terms of reference, by the Senate Education, Employment and Workplace Relations Committee, for addressing issues around the shortage of engineering and related employment skills for Australia’s infrastructure development, has been welcomed by Engineers Australia.
The Acting Chief Executive of Engineers Australia, Rupert Grayston, said that the Senate Committee’s focus is highly encouraging at time when there is no real end in sight to delivering an adequate engineering skills base, across Australia, to match demands for upgrading existing infrastructure to support increasing population and economic expansion.
“All indicators show that the engineering sector will continue to experience growth, particularly in engineering construction associated with major public infrastructure projects and in the resources industries.
“While there may be many grand plans on the drawing boards to meet increasing demands for infrastructure projects, developments will either languish, or not translate into realities, without access to the fundamental infrastructure of an adequate supply of professional engineers and related skills groups.
“For over two decades, the 95,000 strong engineering team that Engineers Australia represents has been at the forefront alerting governments, the private sector and the wider community about the facts and strategies to ensure economic growth is not stymied by Australia’s capacity to develop and deliver the right infrastructure.
“Engineers Australia strongly welcomes the initiative by the Senate Committee to draw together the facts, ideas and strategies to support the delivery of the skilled engineering team to match Australia’s critical infrastructure demands,” Grayston said.
Media Contact: John Bright - 0407 234 490 / jbright@engineersaustralia.org.au
