By Dr Richard Templer, Chief Executive, Engineering New Zealand Te Ao Rangahau
When we think of workforce shortages, doctors, nurses and teachers often come to mind. However, another crucial profession is facing a similar crisis: engineering.
Aotearoa New Zealand faces a significant, long-term engineering skills shortage. A stalled economy has made this shortage worse, with the halt of numerous public works projects driving engineers to seek opportunities overseas. This raises a critical question: Where will we find the engineers needed to tackle our country’s pressing infrastructure challenges?
The engineering skills shortage: a growing crisis
Without enough engineers, we simply can’t build the new roads, hospitals, schools and water facilities that the country desperately needs, and we’ll struggle to maintain or repair our existing assets.
Civil engineers, electrical engineers, mechanical engineers, transport engineers – these are just a few of the disciplines that consistently appear on immigration skills shortage lists. In the past, we’ve relied on importing talent from abroad when we haven’t been able to meet local demand. But the approaching skills shortfall is too vast to be topped up by migration alone, especially when international demand for engineers is strong.
Ironically, while the thirst for engineering skills is apparent, our country’s tertiary education sector is struggling to meet the growing demand for engineers. New Zealand lags behind comparable nations, with only around nine per cent of graduates completing a four-year professional engineering degree, compared to the Organisation for Economic Co‑operation and Development average of approximately 14 per cent.
Additionally, there is growing evidence that our country’s primary and secondary education system is not adequately preparing students for engineering careers. Engineering New Zealand’s own analysis shows a more than 20 per cent decline in the number of New Zealand students completing advanced maths and physics courses over the past decade, and a concerning drop in the performance of 15-year-olds in maths has been observed internationally.
The problems of prospects, pay and politics
The growing engineering skills crisis is compounded by our current economic situation. Simply put, engineers are heading overseas, graduates can’t find work and we are not upskilling future talent.
Much of this comes from the ebbs and flows of large‑scale infrastructure projects. A stocktake of the government’s priorities has led to many projects being cancelled, delayed or scaled back, resulting in job losses and prompting engineers to seek opportunities elsewhere.
Skilled professionals are a mobile bunch, so it’s entirely understandable many have already committed to other projects offshore, often with better pay and long-term stability. Unlike with other professions, New Zealand can’t rely on engineers to jump over the border to help – we’re too geographically isolated and challenged to compete with overseas salaries.
The effect of the skills shortage is particularly acute for engineers with highly specialised skills, such as those in energy, rail, bridge and tunnel projects. These professionals are in demand worldwide as countries look to decarbonise their energy and transport systems. Securing such expertise will only become more difficult as global competition increases. So, by the time infrastructure work once again ramps up, our country may well find itself without the engineers it needs.
Engineering New Zealand has long called for a clear, committed infrastructure pipeline across successive governments. This kind of agreement would not only provide certainty around the country’s long-term infrastructure goals, but would also allow better planning around the skills needed to deliver these projects. It’s pleasing to see the government committing to this through developing a long‑term infrastructure plan. That said, action is needed now.
The way forward
A coordinated and deliberate approach is needed to address these challenges. The entire life cycle of an engineer – from education to career progression – must be supported. This means getting more children interested in science, technology, engineering and maths subjects, increasing the number of engineering graduates, ensuring jobs are available, and retaining engineers within the profession. Encouragingly, the Ministry of Education is focusing on improving science, technology, engineering and maths education to better prepare students for future engineering careers.
There are also untapped opportunities to diversify our engineering workforce; currently, women make up only 27 per cent, and Māori and Pacific Islander people each make up just two per cent of the engineering workforce. Increasing representation from these groups could help alleviate the skills shortage and strengthen the profession. There are other benefits, too; a more representative workforce will help New Zealand better realise and serve the economic, social and cultural needs of its entire population.
Engineering New Zealand, along with partners such as ACE New Zealand and Waihanga Ara Rau, has many initiatives that are addressing the engineering skills shortage. The Diversity Agenda supports our wider sector to beinclusive, respectful, and representative of society by providing resources and tools, expert training and workshops, policy and strategy support, and more. The Wonder Project is Engineering New Zealand’s free schools program, designed to inspire youngsters to pursue science, technology, engineering and maths careers with fun, hands-on activities that resonate with students of all backgrounds, especially girls, Māori, and Pacific Peoples.Mentor Me is our free mentoring program connecting early‑career engineers with experienced professionals, and we also have a Special Interest Group for Immigrant Engineers that assists immigrant engineers in finding professional employment.
Engineering New Zealand is committed to doing what it can to address the skills gap, and is currently developing an action plan in collaboration with industry partners.
Delivery begins with decisions
We know that, right now, not enough engineers are being trained, recruited or retained – and we’re not alone in recognising the real consequences of the engineering skills shortage. Firms, the tertiary sector and government all share this concern, and are working together to tackle this problem.
Promising work has been done on the National Infrastructure Plan, and it’s encouraging to see parties on both sides of the House recognising that it’s time to focus on a long-term vision for infrastructure for our growing country. But what would be most helpful to immediately unblocking the infrastructure pipeline – and therefore unlocking the potential of current and future engineers – is clear direction from the government as to its intentions for the coming years. A letter of expectations to the Board of the National Infrastructure Agency would give clarity as to the procurement and phasing of major infrastructure.
We want to know what is happening, and when. Otherwise, we will keep losing our engineers and will pay the price. An engineering skills crisis is evident – the time to act is now.