Hays Engineering - July 2008

Hotspots

Increased population growth in states such as Western Australia and Queensland is further heating the existing demand for engineers. Within commercial/residential building, structural engineers and drafters with between 10 and 20 years experience are required due to the lack of inner city office space for the growing population, while within land development civil engineers and drafters with between five and 15 years experience are needed. In particular, 12D civil design drafters are needed to cope with the backlog of work to service property developers. Civil engineers with two to four years experience on road and infrastructure projects are also required.

Within coastal/maritime infrastructure, increased international trade underpinned by the resource sector and to a lesser extent the increased population growth and density along coastal regions have created demand for all levels of engineers and drafters.

Water infrastructure is another area of demand, where insufficient infrastructure to service increased demand and the long-term global concerns for our environment have created a need for engineers and drafters with between five and 15 years experience.

Meanwhile environmental engineers and scientists are required nationally due to stricter regulations on green and brown site development, yet there is a limited pool of experienced environmental candidates in the market.

Finally, civil infrastructure specialists such as engineers and drafters with proven experience in the design of roads, coastal/maritime, rail and bridge projects are needed, as are electrical engineers with building services experience and five or more years experience.

The coming quarter

There is a huge demand for skills in the engineering sector, which will only increase as tenders are allocated and large project teams are assembled. Given the demand for skills, larger firms tendering on large-scale projects are focused on attracting and retaining very experienced senior engineers for permanent roles, however for entry to mid level roles, employers are more willing to employ candidates on both a permanent as well as temporary basis.

Executive recruitment

The climate for executive recruitment is very positive. Executive candidates are in demand given the number of projects underway and coming online. Candidates with strong technical backgrounds, commercial awareness, project management and softer people skills are highly sought after.

Western Australia is a particularly active market for executive recruitment. The state continues to establish infrastructure to accommodate both industry and a swelling population, and consequently a number of firms are looking for leadership. Many private sector consulting firms that service government clients are attracting professionals with client side knowledge, which proves to be invaluable in fast-tracking critical projects through red tape.

Salaries

The 2008 Hays Salary Survey, detailing typical salaries across Australia and New Zealand, has been released. The survey includes 25 engineering roles and is available from www.hays.com.au/salary

Candidate trends

The lack of suitable candidates has remained constant. We continue to see large numbers of candidates arriving from overseas, although these candidates can find it challenging to find employment. Meanwhile, candidates with Australian experience are continuing to show interest in resources opportunities.

The engineering industry as a whole is thriving and there are plenty of opportunities for recruitment. The main issue remains the availability of suitable candidates.