Media Release

Too few professional engineers for Government’s transport solutions?
Friday, 12 December 2003

The current lack of professional transport and infrastructure engineers available to work on new transport infrastructure projects in New Zealand could foil the Government’s recently announced solution to New Zealand’s - and especially Auckland’s - traffic woes, says Gerry Coates, President of the Institution of Professional Engineers (IPENZ).

“The reality is that job advertisements and market intelligence shows that getting enough professional engineers to design and manage the construction projects in the short time scales envisaged will be very difficult. At the same time our profession is also having big demands made in other areas like electricity generation.”

Years of underinvestment and lack of planning in infrastructure, have meant that many of our experienced transport and infrastructure engineers have left for better opportunities offshore, or moved into other industries. As well the number of new graduates in many important disciplines of engineering is down on previous years for a number of factors ? such as falling student interest in technological subjects, student loans, and perceived job uncertainty. It is also very unlikely that immigration can fill the shortfall without a substantial change in approach, as the world market for these engineers is high as other countries grapple with similar issues.

The sorts of professional engineers we are talking about are civil, structural, geotechnical, transport, environmental and other associated skills such as planning.
The renowned ability of our engineers to multi-task, and their broad high-quality experience makes them a target for other nations that can pay higher salaries.

“One solution may be to attract back the engineers who are currently working overseas, but whose dream it is to return ? when the right job, with the right salary appears,” Mr. Coates said. “The Government needs to be using the Immigration Service to promote the return of professionals to assist in rebuilding the country’s future.”

Acclimatising migrants, and developing new graduates could take years, and in the meantime the lack of experienced engineers will be sorely felt, he said. High quality professional engineering input is vital for large and complex infrastructure projects to be designed and built to specification, and on time and budget.

ENDS

Back to News and Views

For further information contact:
Gerry Te Kapa Coates (President IPENZ 2003-04)
Ph: 04 560 4356 (DDI)
Mobile: 021 355 099
E-mail: gerry@isp.co.nz