On 22 Sept. 2026: Australia faces a shortfall of over 150,000 engineers by 2036. Around 70,000 engineers will leave the workforce in the next decade as they retire. Engineers Australia released these figures on September 22, 2026.
Engineers Australia says the country will rely on engineering technology to turn challenges into opportunities. The Intergenerational Report points to five major forces that will shape Australia’s economy through 2066: AI, clean energy, demographic change, geopolitical shifts, and industrial transformation.
On 14 Sept. 2026: The Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) has introduced a 12-month trial allowing eligible UK and US licence holders to apply for an equivalent Australian Part 66 aircraft maintenance engineer licence. Read more
Engineers Australia’s holiday shutdown will run from 22 December 2025 to 4 January 2026. Applications, including fast track, lodged in this time may experience a service delay.
New engineering occupations/unit groups included with OSCA
In place of ANZSCO will now be the Occupation Standard Classification for Australia (OSCA). With the launch of OSCA, Engineers Australia is pleased to see updates to classifications for some engineering occupations on 31 January 2025
- Fire Safety Engineer – includes the recommended specialisation ‘Fire Protection Engineer’.
- Acoustic Engineer.
- Mechatronics Engineer – includes specialisation ‘Robotics Engineer’ which is an amendment to our recommendation ‘Robotics and Automation Engineer’.
- Software and Applications Engineers (Unit Group) – we recommended this be called ‘Software and Systems Engineers’ and has been added, with the altered title.
Migration skills assessment process for advanced diploma and associate degree qualifications
- Only qualifications accredited under the Dublin Accord (such as specific associate degrees or advanced diplomas) are now eligible for the accredited pathway.
- Applicants without an accredited qualification must now apply through the Competency Demonstration Report (CDR) pathway, which assesses individual competencies based on knowledge, skills and experience