Opinion piece written by James Westcott FIEAust CPEng NER, 2017Engineers Australia WA President.
Engineers Australia is the trusted voice of the engineering profession.
An area where this ’voice’ has been active recently is in policy development and thought leadership on issues that affect our membership and profession. In this month’s submission, I would like to highlight three reports that have been released this year by Engineers Australia as part of the Pitch for a Better Nation series. These are:
- Engineers Make Things Happen: The need for an engineering pipeline strategy
- The Future of Australian Electricity Generation
- The State of the Profession 2017: Engineering in Australia.
Engineers Make Things Happen: The need for an engineering pipeline strategy
The first report highlights a very concerning trend in the reduced uptake of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) subjects at schools and the corresponding fall in engineering enrolments at tertiary institutions. This will leave a large gap between the future engineering needs of the nation and the available skillset to address those needs. There is also a large move of qualified engineers into other areas, with only 57% of the national engineering labour force actually working in engineering roles.
The Future of Australian Electricity Generation
This report addresses electricity generation, which has been topical recently, especially with regard to South Australia – issues with blackouts; an arguable over-dependence on wind energy and a critical reliance on two major connections in the eastern states’ grid; and, the availability of large battery technologies for energy storage. What stood out for me in the report was that 17 of our biggest 20 Australian power stations are coal-fired. These are mostly aging plants that will need to be replaced/retired in the coming decade. Whilst coal still remains the cheapest fuel source (with vast quantities still available in Australia), the growing concerns about the impact of emissions are certainly moving public opinion and investor sentiment away from coal. Clean coal technology has so far failed to produce the required breakthroughs needed in order to produce commercially viable clean energy. So the report rightly asks the question: where is the transition plan?
The State of the Engineering Profession 2017: Engineering in Australia
The report on the state of the Australian engineering profession is an update on the 2016 report, with the intention of becoming an annual publication. Engineers Australia argues that innovation is the key to meeting Australia’s challenges of reduced productivity, an aging population, energy security and the effects of climate change. Australia needs to transition from a resources-based economy to an innovative, high-tech and knowledge-based economy. Innovation requires bold and decisive action, supported by long-term government policies that will fuel Australia’s industrial and economic pursuits. The report advocates that Australia’s future depends on a skilled workforce, a considered energy policy, improved infrastructure and a strong defence industry policy.
All reports are available in full and summary versions. Our members look to Engineers Australia to provide this level of policy leadership and advocacy.
Western Australia focus
With regard to the focus in 2017 for the WA Division, we are working hard to establish a trusted voice on the following five areas that I highlighted last month:
- Registration of engineers
- Energy policy
- Infrastructure planning
- STEM futures
- Chief Engineer.
We are taking steps to actively engage the new Labour Government on these issues, in line with our position clearly outlined in the Engineers Australia WA Election Strategy. One example strategy is to create a clear, long-term infrastructure policy that goes beyond political cycles and provides some certainty for industry looking to invest in and support major infrastructure projects in our state. This has proven to be successful in Victoria and has enabled major infrastructure projects to be sanctioned and funded by the Federal Government.
I am eager to hear from you in regards to meeting your needs as a member and matters that you feel Engineers Australia should be addressing. Please email me directly if you have any suggestions or queries.
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