The discussion paper examines gender diversity across the engineering profession and identifies that a significant cohort of experienced talent is untapped at a time of increasing demand for infrastructure delivery.
The report's key findings are:
- Mid-career slump: From a peak in their mid-30s, utilisation of female engineers declines by around one percentage point each year
- Overseas-born majority: Three quarters of Australia's qualified female engineers were born overseas, reflecting the global composition of the workforce
- Sustained growth: The number of female engineers has doubled across multiple industry sectors over the past decade, including Professional Scientific and Technical Services
- Representation imbalance: Female participation remains low across key sectors, including Professional Scientific and Technical Services and construction
- Pay gap persists: The gender pay gap in Professional Scientific and Technical Services remains above the all-sector average.
Why this matters now
Australia’s engineering workforce is under increasing pressure to deliver large-scale infrastructure projects. While significant progress has been made in attracting more women into the profession, retention through the mid-career stage remains a persistent challenge.
This is a productivity constraint on the system. Experience takes years to build, and when mid-career engineers leave or shift away from engineering roles, critical capability is lost at a time when it is needed most.
The findings highlight a clear opportunity for industry to better understand the drivers of attrition and to strengthen pathways that support progression across the full career lifecycle.
