Engineers Australia has cautioned that Australia’s future workforce remains under pressure, citing new data from Jobs and Skills Australia that shows continued shortages across many critical engineering disciplines.
In a news release, the organisation said the latest Occupation Shortage List reveals only limited improvement across a small number of engineering fields, while shortages persist among many highly specialised roles essential to national projects.
According to Engineers Australia, aeronautical, biomedical, electrical, environmental, geotechnical, marine, mining, petroleum and water engineering all remain in short supply.
Engineers Australia Chief Engineer Katherine Richards AM CSC said the updated figures highlight the scale and urgency of the challenge.
“The data shows that despite some easing in parts of the profession, Australia still faces deep and persistent gaps in the skilled engineers who power our economy and support our communities,” Richards said.
She said the organisation continues to emphasise the importance of engineering capability to the nation’s future. “Engineers are vital to every part of Australian life; from the skies to the seas, cities to ecosystems, transport to technology and the systems that keep us connected and secure,” she said.
Engineers Australia said the country will need substantial growth in its engineering pipeline to meet national priorities, including major infrastructure, defence, energy transition and sustainability projects. Richards said the scale of demand underscores the need for coordinated reforms.
“To meet our national ambitions, from clean energy and housing to defence and decarbonisation, we’ll need at least 60,000 additional engineering graduates over the coming years. That requires a coordinated approach across education, migration and industry pathways,” she said.
The organisation is calling for a national engineering workforce strategy that aligns government policy, university funding and industry demand. Engineers Australia is also advocating for increased investment in STEM education, stronger industry-based learning pathways and more targeted migration settings to help meet short-term project requirements.
Richards said that while some progress has been made, sustained action is still needed. “We welcome the results of efforts to date, but Australia cannot afford complacency. Much deeper and far-reaching reform work is still required,” she said.
According to Engineers Australia, the engineering workforce must be strengthened at every stage to meet future needs.
“The engineering pipeline must be strengthened at every stage — from schools and universities through to professional development — if we’re to meet the demands of the next decade,” Richards said.
Engineers Australia said more than 15 key engineering occupations are now listed as being in national shortage.
