Three quarters of respondents to our latest membership survey told us they were operating in a higher risk environment than just 12 months ago.
This is no surprise. The last four years of pandemic lockdowns and supply chain disruptions, cost escalation and record rates of insolvencies, rising inflation and geopolitical uncertainty have taken their toll on all corners of the industry.
Our latest report, Confidence & continuity, reveals something of a “reversal of fortunes” since 2023. A significant percentage of our members say they have capacity to take on more work – and in some sectors, after years of capacity constraints, there is not enough work.
Uncertainty makes it more challenging for businesses to invest in the future. This is the message we are taking to governments as they outline spending priorities and plan their next round of nation-building projects.
The Federal Budget on 14 May allocated another $9.5 billion to infrastructure, and you can read about the key priorities in Consult Australia’s Federal Budget member briefing. We also explore what the federal budget means for our smaller members in this issue of Consulting Matters.
Delivering critical infrastructure, driving the energy transition and enhancing our defence capability – all priorities in the Federal Budget – won’t be achieved without our members. And this is why we are thrilled to partner with Engineers Australia to bring engineering leaders from across industry, academia, the public and not-for-profit sectors in our inaugural forum: Engineers with Influence.
This event realised the commitment in our joint collaboration agreement to champion the role of engineers as they hold the solutions to so many of the most complex challenges across the economy. The topic on the table? How we can harness the qualities of the profession – problem solving, strategic thinking and evidence-based decision making – for the future of the nation.
We know businesses benefit from a broad range of views and perspectives, yet fewer than three per cent of corporate directors in Australia are from a STEM background. As Engineers Australia's CEO Romilly Madew noted recently: “Our nation’s boardrooms need people with critical thinking, innovative and technical skills. They need engineers.”
Finally, if you didn’t attend our Breaking Barriers & Building Inclusion leadership lunch recently, I encourage you to check out the recording of the event on YouTube.
We developed Breaking Barriers & Building Inclusion specifically for small and medium sized member companies that may be testing diversity and inclusion initiatives or may have ambitions but don’t know what to do next.
Our recent event was a standout success, with an extraordinary lineup of speakers: construction superstar Alison Mirams, former McKinsey culture expert Paul Collings, workplace relations legal specialist Fay Calderone, Arcadis leader David Raftery, and inclusivity advisor to Consult Australia Champions of Change Coleen MacKinnon. The discussion demonstrated the practical actions that leaders can take to drive change. Our exclusive Breaking Barriers & Building Inclusion Executive Workshop deepens this understanding and is still taking registrations and remains complementary for a limited time only.
We all have a role to play in creating safe, respectful and inclusive cultures in our workplaces, creating an environment where everyone has an equal opportunity to reach their full potential. Consult Australia is proud to support our members in delivering this reality for our industry.