Program to help migrant engineers’ transition

A program designed to address Australia’s engineering skills shortage is helping migrant
engineers find jobs in the specialist fields where they are needed most.

Lynne Foley, director of the Brisbane North Institute of TAFE, says: “BNIT launched the pilot program in 2008 as a direct result of the recognised shortage of skilled engineers . . . It aimed to localise skilled Queensland-based migrant engineers, providing them with more opportunities to work professionally in Australia.

“Information [from] Engineers Australia indicates Australia is facing an acute engineering skills shortage, with a lack of up to 20,000 qualified engineers — [a gap] one that Australian graduates alone cannot fill.”

Foley says the pilot group consists of previous immigrants who were forced to work in other sectors because of their lack of professional networks, inadequate English language skills, or lack of understanding of the workplace culture.

Due to its popularity (there is a waiting list), the course is now run regularly and is delivered at BNIT’s Ithaca campus.
Most participants have between three and eight years of engineering experience and come from countries such as Colombia, Sri Lanka, Russia, The Philippines, Iran, Sudan, Nepal and Mozambique.

“We also see a broad range of engineering fields encompassing most strands, including civil, mechanical, electrical, electronic, aeronautical, chemical, environmental and agricultural engineering,” Foley says.
The gender mix of participants is split about 50-50 — a much higher proportion of female

engineers than among graduates and practising engineers in Australia, she says.
The course focuses on developing workplace English, communication skills, job search and

interview techniques.
It also provides knowledge of the practices within a technical and professional work environment.

Delivered face-to face, it is run full-time over 16 weeks and incorporates 10 weeks of pre-employment preparations and six weeks of unpaid industry work placement.

Participants graduate with a certificate IV in spoken and written English (employment).

Foley says the program is an excellent recruitment tool. “Organisations get the opportunity to trial an overseas engineer . . . at no cost. This allows the engineer to demonstrate their large range of valuable skills and diverse experiences that make them such a huge and essential asset to the Australian workforce.”

Leading organisations such as Santos and Virgin Australia are involved in the program and its success is evident, with more than three quarters of participants having secured work soon after graduating.

BNIT and Engineers Australia are developing a support group for migrant engineers that, Foley says, has brought further industry support and recognition for the program. She is hopeful more organisations will give migrant engineers an opportunity to do unpaid work experience.

Sandra Ospino arrived from Colombia in 2008. Before emigrating she worked as an engineer for a year. She says the program was not without its challenges. “During the course, it was quite

difficult because I had to work 16 hours a day. I wasn’t able to quit my other job, as I had to pay my expenses. So I had to work six hours at Virgin, and straight after finishing for the day I had to go to my other job at a petrol station.”

The experience was, however, “one of the best in my life”.

“I met amazing friends and got a job in my career — it’s just perfect. I don’t want to imagine what my life could have been in Australia without doing this course. The teachers did an amazing job,” Ospino says.

After completing the program she landed a job as a power plant engineer with Virgin Australia.