Engineering job market in Australia

[spraytechnology]

Dear fellow engineers

I am due to return to Australia early 2017 after few years working overseas mainly with EPCM companies on various industrial construction projects. Would someone suggest what is the current job market status in Australia , how easy is to find a new role at senior/principal/manager level since the slowdown on capital expenditure in the region. Thank you

 

[HamburgerHelper]

Is the fracking boom still going on in Australia?

 

[zdas04]

"Fracking boom"? What are you talking about? That is like saying "motor winding boom" to indicate an increase in electrification in the third world. Hydraulic fracture stimulation is one (optional) step in the development of an oil or gas well. It is only primary in the minds of people who have no understanding of the process to develop hydrocarbon resources.

Coalseam Gas (CSG) development in Queensland is still moving forward quite sluggishly now that the LNG plants around Gladstone are on-line, but the 2012 collapse in oil prices had a huge negative impact on the industry and I heard last month that some companies are planning further layoffs. None of my clients in Brisbane or Adelaide are returning phone calls these days, and a large number of the engineers I worked with at the major CSG production companies are currently out of work. When things come back, you'll have to get in line behind people with Oil & Gas experience instead of EPCM experience.

[bold]David Simpson, PE[/bold]
MuleShoe Engineering

In questions of science, the authority of a thousand is not worth the humble reasoning of a single individual. Galileo Galilei, Italian Physicist

 

[canwesteng]

Fracking boom - referring to the boom in natural gas production as fracking increased the amount of natural gas that could be developed economically. Makes sense to me. Not a good time to get into oil and gas - or Australia for that matter - right now though.

 

[zdas04]

canwesteng,
"Nonsense": applying a partially understood concept that applies to a portion of the universe to the entire universe.

Some (but by no means all) CSG wells in Queensland ever have a frac job, and the ones that do generally don't get a lot of improvement over non-frac'd wells. Applying hydraulic fracture stimulation to a very soft formation like a coal seam has had marginal to poor impact on production, certainly not a change in the amount of gas that can be produced economically.

[bold]David Simpson, PE[/bold]
MuleShoe Engineering

In questions of science, the authority of a thousand is not worth the humble reasoning of a single individual. Galileo Galilei, Italian Physicist

 

[spraytechnology]

thanks, I don't seem to get much feedback on the topic, but than since reading the news, the local car industry is now almost defunct, most of the plants have closed or due to close down this year, the Aluminum industry has closed down most of the smelters, just reading the other day the last operational smelter at Portland, suffered a power shortage, leading to a catastrophic failure with most of the pots cooling down midstream, most of LNG projects are now complete, so only operational/maintenance staff are left, the only booming activity is in residential construction and some gov funded infrastructure work.

 

[GregLocock]

Sounds like confirmation bias to me.

Let's see. Operations at the largest automotive development centre in the southern hemisphere are expanding. Carbon Revolutions is expanding their world first production technology. Somebody will have to sort the South Australian energy supply mess out, I expect one or two engineers will be involved, or we could leave it to the politicians cos they've done such a good job so far.

Cheers

Greg Locock


New here? Try reading these, they might help FAQ731-376

http://eng-tips.com/market.cfm?

 

[spraytechnology]

I sure there is more to it than the newspapers, any tips and practical hints, will be appreciated. I will be in Victoria, and since I did work with few EPCM s in the past will be nice to catch up with former workmates. I guess we cannot let all work to politicians either.

 

[davefitz]

Recent news reports that south Australia is going to increase natural gas fired electric generation capacity , due to recent disappointment with renewables and concerns with coal.

"...when logic, and proportion, have fallen, sloppy dead..." Grace Slick

 

[spraytechnology]

I guess we have an answer to this question. Somehow it supports what I learnt byway of grapevine. Any further comments?

http://www.theage.com.au/business/w...ns-struggle-to-find-jobs-20161220-gtes3q.html

quote "Engineering has a highly cyclical employment market, and long-term migration is a method of moderating this boom/bust cycle," rather a lam reply I think. The same thinking is in Canada as well?

 

[GregLocock]

https://www.engineersaustralia.org....o/Representation/FAQ/faq_8_most_engineers.pdf

suggests that some sectors in engineering do well as others do not at a particular time. Quite where each industry is in its cycle is of course not explained in that report.

Currently I would guess that mining has slowed right down, and of course manufacturing has been hard hit for several years.

Cheers

Greg Locock


New here? Try reading these, they might help FAQ731-376

http://eng-tips.com/market.cfm?

 

[controlnovice]

What ever is available, you'll be competing with the Irish engineers who've left Ireland's low pay and high taxes, and few jobs, for better opportunities.

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