Defence projects at risk due to shortage of engineers

Professionals Australia has stepped up its advocacy of a specific STEM classification and pay structure to attract, recognise and retain the engineering and technical capabilities needed by the federal government to roll out the initiatives recommended by the Defence Strategic Review (DSR).

Professionals Australia’s CEO Jill McCabe said that the lack of critical engineering and technical skills in the Australian Public Service (APS), and particularly the Department of Defence has been a long-standing problem and would undermine the implementation of the DSR recommendations if it wasn’t addressed urgently.

She said the comprehensive DSR report released in April outlined a pathway for the government to advance security and national defence, including action to address current workforce challenges.

Ms McCabe said: “The DSR Report highlighted that the Defence APS workforce was understrength and an innovative and bold approach to recruitment and retention was required.

“We are concerned that as new DSR projects are initiated, the demand for these skills will become even more acute, putting capacity to deliver these projects at risk.

“We also know that the labour market for specialist engineering and technical skills and expertise is increasingly competitive.”

Ms McCabe said the key issue facing the Department of Defence was competing with the private sector for engineering and technical skills.

“Under the current APS pay structure, the department simply cannot compete with the salaries offered by the private sector.

“A qualified engineer working in the private sector can earn $30,000 to $100,000 more per year than in the Department of Defence.

“Engineering and technical specialists develop their skills and expertise in the first few years working in Department of Defence but many then move to private sector companies due to the higher pay on offer.”

Ms McCabe said as part of the APS enterprise bargaining negotiations, Professionals Australia had proposed a specific STEM classification and pay structure to help the Department of Defence compete with the private sector.

“Although the DSR report indicated that pay and service conditions in the APS as well as ADF should be highly competitive in the labour market, the Australian Public Service Commission has rejected our claim for a specific STEM structure which would help recruit, develop and retain a skilled technical, science and engineering workforce.

“The structure would be targeted at those with the capabilities and qualifications in STEM that defence required and would remain covered by the Defence Agreement.

“Australia is set to experience a shortage of 200,000 engineers by 2040, and with the added demand of new DSR projects, ensuring Defence is able to attract the technical and engineering skills it needs is now more important than ever.”

Picture: Jill McCabe (credit Professionals Australia)