Engineering Recruitment, Engineers Recruitment, Engineering Employment, Engineering Professionals, Engineering Jobs, WA, Australia

A group of engineering design workers met in Perth this week to protest against a trend that threatens to drain high-end engineering skills from the resources-rich state and push money generated from WA projects offshore. As local firms pick up low-end construction work, the bulk of the challenging and more lucrative design work consistently goes to engineering groups based in London, Houston and Yokohama, according to an analysis of major liquefied natural gas (LNG) projects in WA. Engineers at the meeting organised by The Association of Professional Engineers, Scientists and Managers, Australia, called on the state government to stipulate that design work must be carried out in the state even when an overseas company won a tender. State Liberal member Mike Nahan, who has chaired a committee investigation into the issue, said there was an opportunity for the state to use its bargaining power to help local engineering companies win future contracts.

Excerpt from: The Australian Financial Review (www. afr. com), 29 July 2010

See previous article where talent torque® addressed the issue of a missed opportunity for Perth to rival established centres for LNG Engineering in our article, 'The Gorgon Project – a Missed Opportunity for Engineers?'