Latest analysis of the National Skills Commission Labour Market Insights by Engineers Australia reflects the growing desperation of employers looking to find skilled engineering professionals.
With job vacancies up a 176% in two years, and an estimated 40,000 extra engineers alone needed to deliver on an ambitious infrastructure agenda, Engineers Australia CEO Romilly Madew AO says the profession's peak body is urgently seeking support from government and industry at this week's Jobs and Skills Summit for its program to address a ready-made, but overlooked, workforce.
"Engineers Australia research shows there is a significant cohort of migrant engineers already in Australia who have long-term difficulties securing employment appropriate to their experience. Tapping into this underutilised talent supply offers one immediate means of easing skills shortages," Ms Madew says.
"Our research found that employer bias associated with not being "local"- whether it's experience, networks, standards, references, or qualifications- was the biggest culprit.
"Based on these and the report's other findings we have developed a Pathways to Employment program that provides a road forward for increasing employment outcomes of our migrant and refugee engineers."
The model combines assessment and skills components, internships, and other industry partnerships to create a self-sustaining program after the initial five-year investment.
"Productive use of migrant engineers is vital to our national engineering capability, and we must – and can - address this as a matter of urgency." she says.
Analysis of the National Skills Commission Labour Market Insights to June 2022 shows:
- Engineering vacancies up 41% from June 2021 to June 2022.
- Since June 2020 Australia has experienced a 176% increase in engineering vacancies nationally.
- Vacancy numbers continue to be the highest seen since September 2012.
- Civil engineers and industrial, mechanical and production engineers continue to be the most in-demand. Mining, ICT support and test engineers and electrical engineers where were the next sought-after group
Engineers Australia research shows
- 47% Of migrants actively seeking a job as an engineer are currently unemployed.
- Half of migrant engineers trying to find an engineering role are struggling to get a job at all, with those employed in a non-engineering role turning to industries like construction (14%) and professional services (12%).
- Humanitarian visa holders are even less likely to be employed as engineers in Australia, with only 29% currently employed compared to 57% of skilled visa holders.
- One in three migrant engineers feel that, based on their experience, they should be in a more senior role.
- 35% Those who believe they're employed at the right level, and 62% of those who believe they are underemployed, say their international experience isn't valued.
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