The Federal Budget boost to infrastructure spending will support another 40,000 jobs and place project management related jobs in high demand.
With the announcement by The Hon Josh Frydenberg MP, Treasurer of Australia, of major spending on infrastructure projects in the October Federal Budget, the jobs market is poised for a significant increase in the demand for jobs specifically related to project management skills, says Elizabeth Foley, CEO of the Australian Institute of Project Management (AIPM).
"This investment is welcome news to the economy and for jobs. The availability of skilled project management resources will be crucial to the investment and outcomes of projects of this scale, and employees who have a track record of adhering to industry standards and use best practices."
This funding announcement builds on the $100 billion already committed to infrastructure projects over the next decade, ensuring jobs growth and demand for this skill set for many years to come. The availability and competency of a skilled project management workforce to deliver projects efficiently, especially in the construction sector, will see project management promoted to the top of 'in demands' jobs in Australia.
"The demand for quality and experienced project managers in Australia has been high for a number of years. With the Australian Government gearing up to deliver major projects to restart the economy, the competition to attract talent will be even higher", Ms Foley said.
Furthermore, there will be the prospect of a talent shortage if project management skills are not at the top of consideration for students who decide to pursue studies. "For the fields of architecture, IT and engineering, the skills of project management become particularly important, and it is fast becoming a required skillset in areas such as law, business, and marketing," said Ms Foley.
Under the new higher education funding announced in the Federal Budget, universities and vocational educators need to ensure that project management courses become widely available in Australia, and have been assessed by project management specialists and meet the requirements of the project management industry.
Ms Foley explained, "It is imperative that higher education and skills based courses related to project management become widely available in response to this funding to ensure the supply of this much need skillset for Australia's future projects."
Elizabeth Foley, CEO of AIPM is
