Just in – Engineers Australia and Engineering Education Australia has released a new series of micro-credentials to give skilled engineers a foot in the door to addressing our high-demand and skills shortage.
We have continued to speak about the disparity between engineers available, particularly skilled migrants (on shore and off) and the hesitancy of companies to capture them due to a lack of key criteria such as local experience and soft skills.
In addition to the current skills shortage, record low overseas net migration, visa backlogs, ageing skilled workforce and a low employment rate, Australia has taken a new hit with an even lower employment rate being announced by ABS (June, 2022), decreasing from 3.9% to 3.5%.
Engineers Australia’s micro credentials are a demonstration of the tough criteria many engineers face and employers remain adamant on. In June 2022, the undeniable fact was released, that engineering job vacancies have risen by 97% in the last 12 months. While this is reportedly impacted by visa waiting times for offshore migrants, almost 50% of migrant engineers onshore looking for work are unemployed.
In as little as a few weeks, engineers are able to complete Engineers Australia’s micro-learning credentials to supercharge their CVs and be more desirable to the tough criteria in Australia’s engineering and construction sector.
Recently we spoke about Brisbane becoming the next rail hotspot and there couldn’t be a better time for rail engineers to supercharge their CV’s with the Rail micro-credentials available and accelerate their position in the market. With a $155 billion pipeline of work over the next 15 years – rail jobs will continue to be of high demand.
Rail micro-credentials however are not the only accreditation engineers can receive. Professional skills of communication, stakeholder engagement, risk management and ethical practice are also key criteria companies and consultancies expect any successful applicant to demonstrate – all available as a micro-learning. These micro-credentials will be particularly significant for migrants to achieve cross-cultural competency with local professional skills.
Construction engineering core skills have also been announced to be launched later this year.
If you are an engineer, take stock of the opportunity to supercharge your credentials and opportunity to leverage yourself with the non-negotiable, key criteria companies require. Visit Engineers Australia’s page for all the relevant information and skill area links.
If you are a company and impacted by high vacancies and delayed or understaffed projects, bear in mind these micro-learning’s when considering technically skilled talent who may lack slightly in either local experience or soft skills. As addressed, in as little as a few weeks, a candidate who has high aptitude and agility for a role, who addresses 90% of your criteria can quickly jump to 100%.