• Australia needs thousands of new engineers and the Charles Sturt University engineering degree has a 100 per cent graduate employment rate
• Australia’s demand for engineers is expected to grow by approximately 20 per cent in the next decade

Director of Charles Sturt Engineering Professor Tim Anderson warns that the Australian economy is being hampered by an engineering skills shortage, as the University’s course expands to help fill the gap.

The Local Government Skills Audit by Public Skills Australia found engineers remain the occupation most in shortage across local councils, with more than 40 per cent reporting vacancies. The shortage is even greater in regional Australia, where more than 60 per cent of councils report a shortage of engineers.

The report also found councils identify this shortage as their greatest workforce risk, ahead of urban and town planners and building surveyors.

Engineers Australia Professional Standards Group Executive Bernadette Foley said, “When councils can’t find engineers ... road upgrades are delayed, drainage projects are pushed back and our growing communities miss out on the infrastructure they deserve”.

Demand for engineers is expected to grow by approximately 20 per cent in the next decade, with approximately 70,000 engineers projected to retire in that time, according to Engineers Australia.

Professor Anderson said demand for engineering skills is well and truly outpacing supply.

“As Engineers Australia has emphasised, Australia’s engineering skills and labour shortage is at its highest level in more than a decade,” he said.

“Engineers play a vital role in every sector of the economy, especially housing and other major infrastructure, and Charles Sturt University is helping to tackle the deepening engineering skills crisis in Australia.”

Course Director Associate Professor Miao Li said the Charles Sturt Engineering response to the crisis has been to develop a Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) in civil, electrical or mechanical engineering, using a unique ‘2 + 2’ format.

“In this program, students complete two years study on campus and then two years of paid cadetship work placements in industry,” Professor Li said.

“This is how the course addresses the engineering skills shortage, and provides students with an opportunity to earn while they learn.”

Professor Li noted the course attracted 30 new students including five female students and three international students in 2026.

“We have also established 20 additional cadet work placements to meet the anticipated 2027 placement requirements for civil, mechanical and electrical engineering students,” she said.

Professor Li (pictured left) was recently awarded a Universities Australia ‘Australian Awards for University Teaching’ 2025 Citation for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning.

Her submission, ‘From Science to Service: Transforming engineering students to contribute meaningfully to society through real-world community projects’, explored how her hands-on real-world experience approach was equipping students for a range of careers in engineering.

“Charles Sturt Engineering has a 100 per cent employment rate, with many students securing jobs with the industry partners they worked with during study,” Professor Li said.

“Our engineering students won the national (Australia and New Zealand) Engineering Without Borders ‘Most outstanding design’ award 2024 and ‘Industry Reviewer’ award 2025.”