Engineers Australia has commended the Australian government’s four-year, $128.5 million investment to back 4,000 additional university places that will support the AUKUS workforce.
Romilly Madew, chief executive officer of Engineers Australia, praised the federal government’s commitment to addressing skills shortages in the engineering sector by investing in education and training for the future workforce.
According to Madew, the commitment to recognise the vital role of engineers in AUKUS is a testament not only to the importance of engineering in safeguarding Australia’s national security but also to ensuring that Australia remains at the forefront of technological advancements.
“AUKUS is one our nation’s biggest engineering endeavour since the Snowy Hydro project and the profession will be a critical voice in areas of regulation and oversight, as well as the operation and maintenance will be required to support this program,” Madew said.
The investment is a step in the right direction and the ever-growing demand for engineers requires further interventions.
“Australia’s engineering sector is at a tipping point and without urgent action projects such as AUKUS, the infrastructure pipeline and reaching net zero by 2050 will not be achieved,” the Engineers Australia CEO said.
“Engineers Australia is calling on the Government to adopt the target of producing 60,000 additional engineering graduates by 2033. This will help cater to our nation’s engineering needs and ensure that Australia continues to thrive in an increasingly complex and interconnected world,” she added.
Engineers Australia is the peak body for the engineering profession in Australia, representing the industry with approximately 115,000 individual members.
