Engineers Australia warns that key engineering shortages persist

Engineers Australia has warned that the nation’s future workforce is under strain, as new data from Jobs and Skills Australia has again identified continued shortages across critical engineering disciplines.

While the latest Occupation Shortage List figures show some welcome relief in a handful of engineering fields, the sustained shortage of many highly specialised roles underscores Australia’s ongoing challenge in building and maintaining a robust engineering workforce.

In total, over 15 key engineering occupations are now listed as being in national shortage, according to the data.

Some of the essential sectors that remain in short supply include aeronautical, biomedical, electrical, environmental, geotechnical, marine, mining, petroleum and water engineering.

Engineers Australia Chief Engineer Katherine Richards said that without concerted national action, Australia risks falling short of the engineering capacity required to deliver major infrastructure, defence, energy transition and sustainability projects.

“The data shows that despite some easing in parts of the profession, Australia still faces deep and persistent gaps in the skilled engineers who power our economy and support our communities,” she said. “Engineers are vital to every part of Australian life; from the skies to the seas, cities to ecosystems, transport to technology and the systems that keep us connected and secure.

“To meet our national ambitions, from clean energy and housing to defence and decarbonisation, we’ll need at least 60,000 additional engineering graduates over the coming years. That requires a coordinated approach across education, migration and industry pathways.”

Engineers Australia is calling for a national engineering workforce strategy that aligns government policy, university funding and industry demand.

The organisation is also advocating for increased investment in STEM education, stronger industry-based learning pathways, and more targeted migration settings to meet short-term project needs.

“We welcome the results of efforts to date, but Australia cannot afford complacency. Much deeper and far-reaching reform work is still required,” Richards added. “The engineering pipeline must be strengthened at every stage — from schools and universities through to professional development — if we’re to meet the demands of the next decade.”

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