Engineers Australia supports national engineer registration

Engineers Australia has announced that it welcomes — along with Consult Australia, Professionals Australia and the Institute of Public Works Engineering Australasia (IPWEA) — findings from the National Competition Council’s (NCC) final report to the Council for Federal Financial Relations (CFFR) on its review of mutual recognition arrangements for workers.

The review finds that the case for engineering licensing reform is clear, with the NCC identifying engineering as the leading example of an occupation that would benefit from a national registration scheme.

“The Council found that national licensing schemes have the potential to deliver large benefits for labour mobility by removing many of the barriers that currently arise under mutual recognition arrangements. This includes removing complex equivalence assessments between licences. National licensing would create greater certainty while also simplifying compliance and administration,” the report said.

The engineering bodies have consistently advocated for a national registration scheme to reduce the regulatory burden on professionals and improve workforce efficiency by replacing the current patchwork of individual state and territory arrangements with a single streamlined system that allows engineers to register only once to work anywhere in Australia.

Engineers Australia Chief Executive Officer Romilly Madew said the NCC’s endorsement of the benefits of national licensing schemes is evidence of the productivity improvements that would accrue to critical services that rely on engineering.

“The NCC’s report marks an important step towards a framework that allows engineers to register once and practise anywhere in Australia,” she said. “Engineers are key contributors to vital projects relating to Australia’s national security, energy and infrastructure, often working across multiple states and jurisdictional boundaries. There should be a simple process that allows them to deliver on these matters without inconvenience.

“National registration will reduce compliance costs associated with the current fragmented system and create more opportunities for the more than 545,000 qualified engineers in Australia to work in regional and remote areas facing skills shortages.”

Engineers Australia said it looks forward to working collaboratively with governments to support the development of a national scheme, with its Member Advisory Groups offering practical industry experience and technical expertise.

Image credit: iStock.com/ZeynepKaya