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      A diverse workforce, made up of people with different backgrounds, experiences and perspectives, is crucial for driving innovation, problem solving and better decision-making. 

      Yet, Australia’s engineering workforce has a poor scorecard when it comes to diversity – with women being sorely underrepresented and overseas-born engineers experiencing higher unemployment rates than their Australian-born counterparts.

      This lack of diversity is particularly disturbing given the predicted increases in major public infrastructure activity – where labour shortages have the potential to derail progress.

      What are the barriers to diversity and inclusion and how do we dismantle them?

      We spoke to and surveyed industry leaders attending the 2022 Engineers Australia and KPMG Event series The Future of Engineering: Why inclusion and diversity matter.

      Our report pulls together the findings and explores the way forward.

      Engineering and inclusion diversity imperative

      Engineering and the inclusion and diversity imperative

      A call for urgent action to improve Australia’s engineering workforce
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      Gender diversity: the challenge of women in engineering

      Our report unpacks the issues of gender diversity and explores opportunities for change.

      • 48% of overall workforce are women
      • 13% of working engineers are women
      • 16% of engineering graduates are women

      What are the barriers to diversity and inclusion in engineering?

      • 30% say organisational culture
      • 29% say leadership capability
      • 32% say talent management and career progression
      • 29% say recruitment systems and processes
      • 30% say pathways to create and re-enter engineering

      Tangible steps to accelerate
      change

      This includes deep culture change with leaders clearly articulating why diversity is an imperative and how it drives better results.

      From targeted training and flexible work practices to diverse recruitment panels and a focus on people re-entering the engineering workforce.

      Look at ways to accelerate the speed of change including an exploration of the pros and cons of diversity targets.

      Change is uncomfortable with perceived winners and losers. We need greater transparency on the actions we are taking to create a diverse workplace so we can genuinely support each other through this transition.

      Get in touch

      At KPMG, we’re committed to diversity and inclusion in our own practice and we have a deep understanding of the issues and opportunities. Though driving significant change in engineering diversity is a complex and long-term challenge, we’re committed to moving the conversation forward. Get in touch to find out more.