Engineers Australia is calling on the Government to adopt the Pathway to Diversity in STEM Final Report’s recommendations for future program development to support STEM qualified migrants in obtaining local employment. 

The recently released report calls attention to Engineers Australia’s Global Engineering Talent (GET) program, which supports migrants to overcome barriers to employment. 

Engineers Australia CEO Romilly Madew AO endorsed the STEM report, calling for the Government and employers to act with urgency, citing the engineering profession as a glaring example of why we need to shift the dial.  

“We are pleased to see the Engineers Australia’s Global Engineering Talent program highlighted in the report and we would be like to see a national rollout of this innovative program, which provides migrant engineers with local experience, references and networks,” Ms Madew says. 

Engineers Australia’s GET program aims to help an initial 20 overseas-born engineers in Australia, with both the Northern Territory and the Queensland Government co-funding places. The program includes a six-week preparatory course through Engineering Education Australia with engineering standards-specific training, and a 12-week paid internship at an engineering firm.  

The GET program is an outcome of Engineers Australia’s Barriers to employment for migrant engineers research, which found 47 per cent of migrant engineers actively seeking an engineering job are unemployed.  

“This program has the potential to meet the skilled workforce needs of Australian businesses, support infrastructure and energy transition efforts, and assist migrant engineers in finding roles commensurate with their skills,” Ms Madew said. 

The GET program launched this week in Queensland and Northern Territory. Stay tuned to Engineering News for more information.