Romilly Madew | Severe engineering skills shortage threatens our Clean Energy Transition

For the growth of clean, reliable, and affordable energy we must see an increase in Australia's engineering workforce.

Engineers will be needed at all stages of an asset's lifecycle. From planning, design and construction to the operation, and maintenance of renewable energy generation.

However, the country continues to grapple with a severe engineering skills shortage, forcing clean energy industries to compete for talent with other infrastructure and defence projects.

Demand for engineers in fields like civil, geotechnical, structural, and materials engineering is expected to exceed 50,000 in the coming years - we are nowhere near close to meeting this need. Australia has a critical skills gap.

There are several factors at play here. Historic levels of infrastructure investment, including government support for clean energy projects, have intensified the demand for engineering skills.

COVID has disrupted skilled migration, exacerbating the shortage while a decline in the number of young people choosing engineering as a career has created the perfect storm. Today we are seeing delays in national projects, decreased productivity, and a brain drain to other countries.

If we do not address these workforce issues, delays in nation-building projects across all sectors will be significant, stifling productivity and economic growth. In addition, we stand to miss the opportunity to participate in the next wave of wealth creation through eco-technology and innovation, particularly in clean energy.

This issue extends beyond environmental and economic concerns; it has become a global security issue.

The recent Quad leaders' summit, involving Australia, India, Japan, and the US, emphasised the importance of developing secure and diversified clean energy supply chains for energy security in the Indo-Pacific region. Achieving these goals requires a well-equipped engineering workforce.

To build this workforce, reforms are necessary.

We must attract more young Australians to pursue a career in engineering. Engineers Australia is working hard with schools, industry, and policy makers to inform them of the impact and innovation an engineering career brings by raising awareness about the profession and its pivotal contributions to the clean energy transition.

Retaining engineers in the profession is another vital aspect. An engineering qualification provides a versatile skillset highly valued across various industries. The profession must do better to retain qualified professionals in the field.

Addressing the issue of skilled migrant engineers is essential as well. While Australia has relied on this workforce for years, a substantial number of skilled migrant engineers remain unemployed or underemployed. Establishing clear pathways to permanent residency and improving support systems can leverage the potential of this critical cohort.

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Diversity and inclusion must be prioritised in the engineering workforce. Currently, only 16 per cent of qualified engineers in Australia are female. This statistic has barely budged in decades. Overcoming the gender imbalance and increasing the number of women in the profession is crucial and will help to plug the skills gap.

Finally, better planning for the future engineering workforce is necessary. Accurate demand data can help universities and schools align their training programs with industry needs, ensuring that future engineers are equipped with the skills required by employers.

Australia's engineering skills shortage poses significant challenges to achieving the country's clean energy and sustainability goals.

We need targeted interventions, targeted education, targeted support for migrants and targets for getting more women into the profession.

We are seeing positive steps forward in some of these areas, but more needs to be done if Australia is to build a future-fit engineering workforce and pave the way for a greener, more prosperous, and secure future.