A new digital engineering academy will support the next generation of engineers - particularly young women - into the sector, providing learning pathways and real-life professional engagement.
Engineered for impact - a partnership between Year13 and Engineers Australia - is an online initiative aimed at strengthening Australia’s engineering pipeline.
It showcases real stories from young professionals and provides young people with the tools and confidence to pursue careers in engineering, where women remain significantly underrepresented.
Engineered for Impact engineering champion, Adriana Assey, did not consider a career in engineering while in school, despite growing up in a household where her father worked as a mechanical engineer. As time passed, however, she was drawn to the field.
Assey now works as a project engineer, coordinating and planning the on-site work. Her responsibilities include monitoring costs, overseeing team activities, and managing timelines.
“A great aspect of the role is being able to hear how positively your work impacts the community,” she said.
"How lifestyles are impacted for the better in terms of the infrastructure that you've built is honestly the most life-changing and rewarding aspect of being an engineer.”
She believes the program will have a positive impact on anyone taking their first steps into engineering and will offer support to those who need a little extra encouragement.
“My advice to young people considering becoming an engineer is always stay curious and try new things,” Assey said.
Engineers Australia’s chief engineer, Katherine Richards, said Engineered for Impact is about demystifying engineering and highlighting its impact on almost all aspects of society to inspire school students who may never have considered it a career option.
“So many projects underway and in the pipeline whether they be infrastructure, manufacturing, smart technologies, transition to net zero, all require engineers,” Richards said.
“It’s a career for anyone who wants to make a real and positive impact - and our Year13 collaboration highlights that.
“We are also calling for a target of 60,000 additional engineering graduates over the next decade in order to help address the complex global challenges we face. Engineered for Impact will help us get there by attracting the next generation of engineers.”
Women remain significantly underrepresented in STEM-qualified fields, making up just 15% of the workforce. In engineering, women make up only 16% of the engineering workforce, and only 4.1% of the engineering qualified labour force are women born in Australia.
To mark the launch of the Engineering Academy yesterday, Year13 and Engineers Australia hosted a youth panel of three young engineers sharing their personal journeys and perspectives on what it means to be part of the next generation of engineers.