The number of civil engineering vacancies in Queensland rose almost 30 per cent from a year ago, according to the federal government’s monthly Internet Vacancy Index compiled by Jobs and Skills Australia. The tally of 674 edged ahead of NSW (639) and Victoria (369), the data showed, with roles spanning geotechnical, rail, structural, transport and water engineering.
Queensland’s major infrastructure pipeline now stands at $139.5 billion, according to a report from the Queensland Major Contractors Association released last week.
BMD Engineers Australia chief engineer Katherine Richards said the figures showed the scale of opportunity and the need to ensure Queensland could attract and develop the talent required. “Queensland’s infrastructure pipeline is creating significant opportunities for civil engineers, especially those who are willing to move. It’s the place to be right now if you’re an engineer,” she said.
Richards said engineers would be central to delivering projects from planning and design through to construction, including the infrastructure needed to support the Brisbane 2032 Olympic Games. Nearly 70,000 engineers were expected to retire over the next 15 years, she said, adding to workforce pressures but also creating opportunities for those entering the profession.
“Australia is facing a significant engineering workforce challenge, but for young engineers that’s also a major opportunity,” Richards said. “Engineering is at the centre of the nation’s biggest priorities, from building clean energy systems and digital infrastructure to strengthening defence capability and improving productivity.”
Queensland Major Contractors Association chief executive Andrew Chapman said Queensland was entering one of the most significant periods of infrastructure delivery in its history. “The opportunities for our industry, our workforce and our economy are enormous,” he said. Chapman said the focus now needed to be on ensuring Queensland had the “capacity, capability and productivity” to complete the work.
Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie, who has ministerial oversight of Olympic infrastructure, said Queensland was “open for business”. “We’re building things here again, including a record number of homes as well as the hospitals, schools, roads and other infrastructure the state’s been missing as part of our $119 billion pipeline,” he said.
Late last year, the Queensland Audit Office’s major projects report warned of a 50,000-worker shortfall this financial year as infrastructure construction ramped up. An updated QAO report is due within weeks.