Expat engineers head down under

in 

Australia

A severe shortage of engineers in Australia has given big opportunities for skilled Britons to step in and solve the problem.

Apparently, around 20,000 engineers are needed in Australia, a phenomenal number that is actually expected to rise due to increases infrastructure projects and a boom in the mining and resources industries.


Australia is experiencing said boom due to strong demand for minerals and natural resources from China. However, the lack of qualified engineers has come due to a fall in engineering graduates, and a rise in engineers approaching retirement.


Ian Goodier, a mining and resources consultant at Australia-based recruiter Talent2, said: “The continued growth of the mining sector in Australia has caused there to be a large demand for engineers, which is not matched by supply in the local market. The Queensland Resources Council recently predicted as many as 35,000 jobs would be vacant in two years time unless changes were made to a wide range of areas including apprenticeships, immigration and taxation.”

Workers from the UK are especially desired as Australian standards are very similar to those in Britain.