This survey was developed after the findings of the Science and Engineering and Technology (SET) Skills Audit identified a need for further information to explore workforce supply and demand issues in relation to engineering students in their final year of university study. It builds on the findings of an earlier DEEWR report entitled ‘Views of engineering students – Report of final year university engineering students in Australia’.

Abstract

The new supply of professional-level engineering skills is investigated from the perspective of recent engineering graduates. New engineers who completed their qualification in 2007 were surveyed in 2008, prior to the onset of the global recession.

Issues investigated include:

• employment outcomes;
• the balance between the demand for and supply of new engineering skills;
• reasons for new engineers not being placed in engineering jobs and the impact of this;
• job readiness;
• employability skills; and
• workplace experiences.
  

Survey results and key findings are discussed with reference to other data sources on graduate engineer outcomes and employment for all engineering professionals. Industry demand for recently qualified engineers is assessed, but the results should be used cautiously as the findings relate to the relatively tight labour market conditions that prevailed over most of 2008, prior to the effect of the global recession.

The survey findings indicate that the ‘new’ supply of engineers was fairly well aligned with industry demand in 2008 (across fields of study and geographical location). In the tight labour market for engineers in Australia from December 2007 to September 2008, a higher proportion of engineering graduates were placed in an engineering job in Australia than had intended to work in engineering when asked in their final year of study. A small proportion of respondents chose to undertake overseas employment or travel following completion of their degree. The majority of those who left Australia to take up employment indicated that this employment would provide them with additional capabilities to enhance their future engineering career in Australia. The majority of respondents employed in occupations other than engineering in Australia in 2008 were working in highly skilled occupations. Respondents indicated that employability skills had been used in their engineering employment more often than were they taught these skills as part of their degree. Graduates agreed their studies were most effective at enhancing the problem solving and analytical aspects of their employability skills, and less effective in enhancing their project management skills. Recent engineering graduates had a wide variety of opinions about the effectiveness of different types of work experience in preparing them for their role as an engineer, but they generally agreed that work experience blocks of more than 12 weeks were useful.

Author(s) Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations
Publication Details
Type: Reports
Published: 6/2009

Topics Covered
Sectors: Higher education
Training & skills

Detailed: Career choices
Departmental reports, plans and budgets
Higher education statistics
Science, innovation and industry
Student participation and achievement
Student views
Employment

Availability
Download Labour Market Outcomes and Experiences of Recent Engineering Graduates in 2008

• Report and Appendicies ( PDF  | Report  RTF Appendicies RTF)