Scientists discover. Engineers scale. Despite their impact, engineers are often absent from decision-making that shapes our economy, infrastructure and future. How do we change that?

By any measure, engineers are critical to Australia’s national success. They power the energy transition. Drive infrastructure delivery. Enable advanced manufacturing. Deploy digital and automation breakthroughs. And design the complex systems that underpin our economy, cities and daily lives.

Over 50% of industry value added comes from six engineering-heavy sectors, according to Engineers Australia’s Engineering Tomorrow report. Mining alone makes up 13.6% of GDP. Infrastructure returns $3 for every $1 invested. 

Yet we are falling behind. Australia ranks 84th for share of science and engineering graduates globally. We are 61st in engineering commercialisation and 91st in production and export complexity. Patent filings have dropped. Productivity has stagnated. Engineers – the people who can solve these challenges – are under-represented at critical policy and leadership tables. And engineering is under-recognised in the public imagination.

How can we reframe the role of the Australian engineering profession? This is the underlying question of Engineers with Influence – a new roundtable series co-hosted by Engineers Australia and Consult Australia. 

“In other parts of the world, engineering is recognised as a foundation of economic strength and national prosperity,” said Engineers Australia’s CEO Romilly Madew AO. “We need to build that same recognition here – in the community, boardrooms, among politicians, in the public service, and within the profession itself.”

Not just backroom brains

Engineers aren’t held in the same regard in Australia as they are in the UK, US or Europe, said one participant who had recently returned home after a long career overseas.

“Australians don’t really understand what engineers do and engineers don’t always know how to communicate their value.”

Why is this? Engineers rarely promote themselves. Scientists are trained to publish papers. Architects learn to present portfolios. Engineers often work in teams behind the scenes, focusing on solutions, not storytelling.

This invisibility comes at a cost – to the profession and to the nation. “Engineers become scope takers, not scope makers,” one participant noted. When engineers are not in the room when decisions are made, the outcomes suffer. On the other hand, when engineering skills are valued, public investment and policy influence flows. 

Engineering is often seen as a commodity, not a catalyst, one participant said. Yet engineers are catalysts. They don’t just solve problems. They scale solutions. As one participant noted: “Scientists discover. Engineers scale.” 

Australia’s engineering shortfall

At the time of the 2021 Census, Australia had almost 550,000 qualified engineers, but only 44% were working in engineering occupations.

With nearly 70,000 engineers expected to retire over the next 15 years, more than 60% of domestic engineering graduates will need to enter the engineering workforce just to replace those leaving the profession.

In China, an investment in engineering – dubbed the “engineer dividend” in the Australian Financial Review – appears to be paying off. China’s engineering workforce has surged from 5.2 to 17.7 million in two decades. That surge is now fuelling innovation, industrial scale and strategic advantage.

The group agreed: Australia’s next government should appoint a National Chief Engineer, just as we have a Chief Scientist. Someone with the authority and systems perspective to influence policy at the highest levels.

Engineering a seat at the table

Just 20 of Australia's 226 current federal politicians (or 9% of parliament) are qualified in science or engineering. 

Engineers are also underrepresented on boards, in public policy, and across senior executive roles. But engineers bring essential attributes to the table: commercial clarity, risk literacy and technical acumen. 

“We need to stop talking about engineers as problem solvers. They’re problem thinkers, strategic doers and economic leaders.”

Engineers with Influence isn’t just a conversation series. Insights from the first roundtable point to practical actions with wide audience appeal. The networks created through this series are, in themselves, helping to shape advocacy. Both Engineers Australia and Consult Australia are committed to turning ideas into outcomes through ongoing engagement with governments, business groups and the broader community.

Scaling the future

If 50% of Australia’s GDP is shaped by engineering, what does success look like?

It’s engineers in every boardroom. It’s national policy shaped by systems thinkers. It’s a highly respected profession that attracts diverse brains. Above all, it is a nation that fully understands the role of engineering in securing prosperity, resilience and progress.

Jonathan Cartledge, CEO of Consult Australia, reinforced the shared responsibility and opportunity: “Engineers are essential to shaping Australia’s future. That’s why Consult Australia and Engineers Australia are collaborating to elevate their voices across every sector, region and boardroom. The insights shared from this roundtable make the strategic opportunity crystal clear. We’ll be looking to our members to turn momentum into real influence.”

Stay tuned for more from this series in the months ahead. Be sure to connect with Engineers Australia and Consult Australia and learn more about how you can get involved through your membership.