Australia’s engineering workforce will have a key role in responding to major economic and social changes identified in the 2026 Intergenerational Report, according to Engineers Australia.
The report outlines five factors expected to shape Australia’s economy through to 2065–66: artificial intelligence, clean energy, demographic change, geopolitical fragmentation and industrial transformation.
Engineers Australia CEO Romilly Madew AO said engineering capability would be important across each of these areas, including the development of energy systems, infrastructure, telecommunications and technologies supporting an ageing population.
“This report gives us a picture of where Australia is heading over the next 40 years, and one thing is clear, much of that future will need to be engineered,” Madew said.
The organisation said engineers would also contribute to areas including sovereign capability, defence, critical infrastructure and resilient supply chains as geopolitical conditions evolve.
“Engineers work at the point where big ideas become practical solutions,” Madew said. “Policy can set the destination, but we still need people who can design, build, operate and maintain the systems that get us there.”
Engineers Australia estimates Australia will need more than 150,000 additional engineers by 2036 to meet demand and replace workers leaving the profession, with about 70,000 engineers expected to retire over the next decade.
Madew said the workforce requirements highlighted the need for long-term planning.
“The engineers who will deliver Australia’s future cannot be produced overnight,” she said. “If we want a more productive, resilient and technologically advanced Australia, we need to make sure we have the engineering capability to build it.”
Engineers Australia also welcomed the report’s recognition of occupational licensing reform for engineers, saying nationally consistent registration could support workforce mobility.
“If Australia is serious about lifting productivity and delivering the enormous pipeline of work ahead, we should be making it easier for qualified engineers to work where their skills are needed,” Madew said.
