Engineers Australia has warned that skills shortages and workforce gaps remain the most significant challenge facing the engineering profession, following the results of a recent industry poll.
The online survey, conducted by Engineers Australia, asked more than 450 industry professionals to identify the biggest issue facing engineers.
Skills shortages and workforce gaps ranked as the leading concern, cited by 44.4 per cent of respondents, ahead of workforce burnout and workload pressures (30.3 per cent), funding pressures (20.2 per cent) and project complexity (5.1 per cent).
Engineers Australia Chief Engineer Katherine Richards said the findings highlighted concerns within the profession about Australia’s ability to meet future engineering demand.
“These results point to a profession that understands the scale of the challenge ahead,” Richards said.
“Our population is growing rapidly. Communities are expanding. Infrastructure demand is increasing. We are building and upgrading the systems Australians rely on every day, from transport and housing to energy, water and digital connectivity.
“That future cannot be delivered without enough engineers.”
According to Engineers Australia, demand for engineers is expected to increase by around 20 per cent over the next decade, while approximately 70,000 engineers are projected to retire during the same period.
Richards said the profession was facing multiple workforce challenges, including an ageing workforce and declining participation in STEM subjects.
“At the same time, a significant proportion of the engineering workforce is approaching retirement age, while participation in STEM subjects, particularly advanced mathematics, continues to decline in many parts of the country,” she said.
“That combination is creating understandable concern across the profession about the future pipeline of engineering talent.”
Engineers Australia said workforce capability will be critical to supporting the delivery of infrastructure and essential services as demand continues to grow.
“Engineering underpins almost every aspect of modern life, from transport and housing to water, energy, communications and defence,” Richards said.
“The challenge is not simply replacing workers leaving the profession. It is ensuring we have enough engineers with the right skills to meet increasing demand in a more complex and technology-driven environment.”
In response to the findings, Engineers Australia is calling for a coordinated national approach to workforce planning.
The organisation said this should include stronger collaboration between government, industry and universities, expanded industry-linked training pathways, and ongoing investment in research and engineering infrastructure.
