I spent a productive two days representing the profession at the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) Special Summit in Melbourne. The event marked the 50th anniversary of Australia’s partnership with ASEAN.
On day one I attended the Climate Change and Clean Energy Forum where discussions included what two-way trade and investment opportunities can be harnessed between nations for mutual benefit to provide solutions to the climate crisis. Other focus areas were supply chains, skills and capability. These are all strategic priority areas for Engineers Australia.
Australia has world class clean energy expertise, engineering design, construction and advisory services as well as leading energy transition proficiency (cue engineers) as we move towards 100 per cent instantaneous penetration of renewable energy. Our nation and the profession has a vital role to play in the region to ensuring this transition is achieved.
It was incredible to hear that as part of this energy transformation – by 2030 it’s predicted that one trillion dollars of economic opportunity will flow into South East Asia and with it – a need for 5.5 million additional workers. Engineers Australia’s research has identified the need for improved data across all sectors to help understand this current and future demand.
Skills was a focus on Day two of the Summit where I took part in the CEO Forum including participating in the Education and Skills Roundtable. Engineers Australia is advocating for and working on addressing the engineering skills gaps and needs of Australia and the region. What do we require now and what will be necessary in the future? Education is key to supporting enhanced regional collaboration and economic prosperity.
More than 60 per cent of engineers in the Australian workforce were born overseas and because of the ongoing domestic supply challenges, skilled migration will remain essential to the nation’s engineering capacity in the short and medium term.
Improving the support and employment outcomes of migrant engineers is crucial for Australia to be seen as a destination of choice. This is particularly critical as demand in Southeast Asia for engineers increases.
ASEAN goals, discussions and areas of action underpin Engineers Australia’s focus on what is preoccupying the whole region- getting the energy transition right, building sustainable infrastructure and meeting the skills challenges.
Engineers Australia CEO Romilly Madew AO