As technologies and workplaces evolve, and with a number of massive infrastructure projects getting underway in Australia over the coming years, engineers need to make sure they keep ahead of the curve. Here are five skills we think engineers will need to progress their careers in 2023 and beyond.
1. Technical skills: Infrastructure and defence
There will be plenty of activity in the coming years for Australian civil and structural engineers, designers and drafters. Every major city has a long-term infrastructure strategy in place, and for many states this will be a central aspect of their economic activity over the next five to ten years.
Notably, Brisbane’s successful bid to host the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games brings with it a raft of projects across the city and surrounds. These include developing or revamping competition venues, and new infrastructure for rail, cyclists and pedestrians. Flagship projects include an athletes village that will rejuvenate the existing industrial land at Northshore Hamilton, along with a number of “green” and “smart” infrastructure projects that will be prioritised across the state’s south-east.
Defence is also going to be big business in the coming decade. Current conflicts such as the Russia-Ukraine war and tensions between China and the West have made this front-of-mind for many governments, and Australia is no exception. Major projects flagged by the federal Albanese government include a $100 billion plan for nuclear-powered submarines. Prime Minister Albanese has forecast that defence spending could eventually outstrip the pledged two per cent of GDP.
These kinds of high-profile, high-stakes projects will need engineers possessing cutting edge and specialised technical skills. It is worth considering doing additional training or upskilling, or providing these to your team, to have the best shot at reaping the benefits of the infrastructure boom and commitment to defence. Micro-credentialling programs such as those mooted by Engineers Australia are a good place to start, alongside other more comprehensive trainings.
2. Technical skills: IT and tech
With the rise of the Internet of Things, urban designers embracing “smart city” concepts, the proliferation of digital communication and collaboration platforms, and new powerful design and analytics tools shaping the way designs are conceived and implemented, IT skills are no longer simply the domain of computer and software engineers.
The Tech Council of Australia was established to drive Australia’s transformation into a global digital hub. The foundations are already there: they estimate the tech sector to be around 8.5 per cent of Australia’s GDP, contributing some 860,000 jobs. Australia has also been a hotbed for digital innovation, having contributed 2.3 per cent of the world’s tech unicorns (start-ups that reach a valuation of $1 billion) – which is significant considering our share of global GDP is just 1.6 per cent.
The group is also pushing for Australia to lead innovations in digital assets, including private stablecoins, digital currencies and cryptocurrencies, alongside complementary innovations such as Blockchain, smart contracts, decentralised autonomous organisations and decentralised finance. All of these are likely to require engineers with highly specialised IT and tech skills.
But beyond tech-specific industries, more and more, engineers of all disciplines will benefit from building their digital skillset. Consider how an understanding of computer science fundamentals such as data structures and computer memory manipulation can enhance more traditional engineering approaches. Not to mention a solid working knowledge of virtual reality, robotics, AI and machine learning, all of which will play pivotal roles in engineering projects big and small in years to come.
Engineering as a discipline has always been adept at evolving rapidly in line with new technologies and methodologies. The digital revolution has accelerated that evolution even more. The engineers who will be most in demand are those with the skills and attributes to keep pace.
3. Management skills: hybrid work and psychosocial safety
For managers of engineers, the modern work landscape requires new sets of skills. In particular, with hybrid work now a staple of many workplaces, managers need to know how to implement the right technology, procedures and philosophies to ensure teams are connected, engaged and productive.
Another thing managers need to be aware of is the impact that work can have on employees’ mental health. Work Safe Australia notes psychological injuries have a significant impact on both workers and business, and may result in longer time away from work and cost more than other injuries.
Workplace psychosocial hazards are anything that increases the risk of work-related stress and contributes to worsening mental health. They include things like unrealistic job demands, violence and aggression, bullying and harassment, conflict, poor organisational justice, lack of reward and recognition, traumatic events, and isolation (especially for remote or hybrid workers).
Engineers Australia has been pushing for more conversations about mental health within the industry. They note especially the prevalence of poor mental health and high incidence of suicide within the construction industry, which is the third largest employer of engineers in Australia.
Increasingly managers within engineering need to have an understanding of mental health issues and how work can impact them. They also need to be informed about the risks of workplace psychosocial hazards, and have policies and procedures in place to remove them, including for people working from home. Formal training such as Mental Health First Aid is worth considering.
4. Design thinking: people-centred problem-solving
Problem-solving is a core component of engineering. Increasingly those who employ engineers will be looking for people who possess design thinking skills to cut through underlying assumptions, better understand the needs of clients and users, come up with ideas that are outside-of-the-box, and refine them through systematic testing and reiteration.
Design thinking is a method of problem-solving that involves questioning whether the problem in front of you is really the one that needs to be solved, or if there are underlying problems that are not as immediately apparent. Importantly it’s about figuring out what people really want or need, rather than coming up with solutions based on pre-existing assumptions.
There are different ways of defining the steps involved in design thinking. Essentially, it involves a process of defining or clarifying the problem that needs to be solved, coming up with ideas, testing those ideas, and implementing those that work best. It’s not a linear process, and usually it’s necessary to repeat earlier steps if a successful solution is to be achieved.
Hugely successful start-ups have been built on this approach, including Uber Eats and Air BnB. Established brands like Oral B and American Express have also enhanced their products and business models by adopting a design thinking approach to user experience. It’s an invaluable addition to any engineer’s toolbox.
5. Project management: End-to-end delivery of objectives
Increasingly engineers are finding themselves working within multi-disciplinary teams, collaborating to develop highly complex projects and products. Engineers who can take a high-level view of a project from conception to implementation, and who possess the skills and attributes needed to engage with stakeholders and work productively within such teams, will stand out from the pack.
Good communication forms part of this. Engineers with a project management mindset will have the skills they need to clearly express ideas, and facilitate positive and productive interactions with clients, managers and their team members. Digital communication is just as important as verbal communication, too. The ability to craft an email or engage meaningfully in a group chat or video conference call is sometimes underestimated. For engineers, these skills are vital.
In fact, project management involves a whole raft of skills and attributes that are transferrable and beneficial to just about any work context. Things like strategic planning, budgeting, prioritisation, time management, decision-making and reporting. It involves being able to understand a client’s objectives, and the steps required to achieve those objectives. It provides an end-to-end framework to ensure projects meet the brief and are delivered on time and on budget.
Not every engineering role will explicitly include “project management”. But engineers who possess these skills will be increasingly in-demand, and well placed to progress in their career.
Bayside Group has been resourcing Australia’s major engineering projects for over 45 years.โฏFind out how we can assist you.โฏ
