RCSA: engineers top the skills shortage list, tradesmen close behind

The engineering profession continues to face the greatest skills shortage in Australia, with building professionals not far behind, according to the latest survey of Recruitment and Consulting Services Association (RCSA) Members.

The survey of business managers from on-hire and recruitment companies during August and September 2006, showed that the top ten occupations suffering skills shortages are:

1. Non-building professional engineers
2. Non-building engineering associates and technicians
3. Building professionals
4. Electrical trades (building)
5. Business professionals
6. Non-building electrical/electronic trades
7. Building associates and technicians
8. Health professionals
9. Carpenters and joiners
10. Metal trades

ìThe booming resources sector continues to impact the skills in demand, with engineers and technicians still the hardest to find,î CEO of the RCSA, Ms Julie Mills said.

ìThe building industry is also being hit hard, as it struggles to find building professionals and several types of tradesmen,î she said.

Business professionals and health professionals also feature in the top ten.

ìThe broad range of occupations appearing in this list proves that no industry is immune to the skills shortage crisis,î Ms Mills said.

Businesses need to start looking at a range of strategies to address the shortage, including investing in skills and training, tapping into under-employed groups such as mature age workers and parents returning to work, and offering flexible work practices to accommodate diversity in the workforce,î she said.

The RCSA survey was conducted in September 2006 through a secure Internet site by independent market research company, The Values Bank Research Centre. The respondents are business managers from the RCSAís membership across Australia and New Zealand.

This is the 20th survey of RCSA Members in a tracking study that started in September 2001.