Engineers Australia has urged the next federal government to set a national target of 60,000 additional engineering graduates by 2035, warning that Australia’s economic prosperity and capacity for innovation depend on a stronger domestic skills pipeline.
The proposal is one of four election priorities outlined in the organisation’s new Engineering Tomorrow report, launched at the Western Sydney University Parramatta Engineering Innovation Hub.
As the federal election approaches, Engineers Australia National President Dr Raj Aseervatham said immediate action is needed to bolster the engineering workforce, which underpins critical sectors across the economy.
“Almost every aspect of our everyday lives in Australia relies on engineers and engineering; such as resilient infrastructure, energy independence, industrial progress, advancements in health technology and sustainability, to name just a few,” said Dr Aseervatham.
He noted that up to 70,000 engineers are expected to retire over the next 15 years, compounding the challenge as population growth and technological change drive further demand for STEM professionals.
“To maintain standards of living in Australia and enhance our economic prosperity, rapid action is needed. The government should set a target for 60,000 additional engineering graduates over the next decade,” Dr Aseervatham said.
Engineers Australia CEO Romilly Madew AO highlighted that the proposed target would mirror existing government targets for the technology sector workforce.
“An engineering graduate target will signal that this is a national priority that will require collaboration between universities, industry and government bodies to make it happen,” Madew said.
Australia’s engineering workforce currently relies heavily on international students and migrant engineers, but rising global demand for engineering talent is intensifying competition from other advanced economies.
“Strengthening the pipeline of domestic graduates is therefore necessary to lessen Australia’s dependence on external talent supply,” Madew added.
Engineers Australia Acting Chief Engineer Bernadette Foley emphasised that achieving the target will require more than simply increasing enrolments.
“While we do need to increase the number of undergraduate engineering students, we also will need to make sure they are supported to complete their degree and are not lost to the profession once in industry,” Foley said.
She also called for more flexible pathways into the profession.
“We also have the opportunity to enable different pathways into the profession. For school leavers, they should be able to choose innovative VET/higher education pathways,” Foley said.
“For others already in the workforce, we need flexibility so that they can choose engineering, building on their experience.”
Beyond the graduate target, Engineers Australia is calling on the next government to implement all 11 recommendations from the 2024 Pathways to Diversity in STEM report, and to introduce policies that dismantle barriers to entering STEM professions — such as extending financial support for engineering students facing hardship during work placements.
The Engineering Tomorrow report, which details these priorities, is available for download from Engineers Australia’s website.
