ENGINEERING
If you are thinking about studying engineering, Australia has a lot to offer — as many other students from overseas have already discovered. In greater numbers than ever before, international students are choosing to study engineering in Australia. In fact, Australian National Engineering Taskforce (ANET) figures show that international student enrolments in engineering increased by 81.8 per cent between 2002 and 2010. In 2010, international students accounted for 43 per cent of all engineering graduates in Australia.
Wide range of engineering courses
Whether it’s civil, mechanical, electrical, electronics, telecommunications, chemical, computer, mechatronic, materials, agricultural, marine, mining, petroleum, geological, industrial, aerospace, environmental or biomedical, Australia offers a huge range of engineering courses right across the country. This gives you the opportunity to specialise in the field of your choice. There are also more hands-on Vocational Education and Training (VET) courses on offer, which will qualify you for engineering associate or engineering technologist positions and can act as a pathway into university. If you’re already working as an engineer, Australian institutions also offer a range of postgraduate programs in engineering (such as the Master of Business Administration specialising in engineering), which will enable you to take the next step in your career.
Excellent employment prospects
Australia is currently experiencing a widespread shortage of engineers, especially in states that are experiencing the highest growth in mining andresources — Western Australia and Queensland. This high demand for graduates means that international students studying engineering have strong prospects of gaining employment in Australia. International graduates are vital to meeting Australia’s engineering skills shortage, with skilled migrant engineers accounting for more than half of the supply of newly qualified engineers in the Australian workforce, according to ANET figures. Engineering graduates working in Australia can also expect to earn high salaries. According to The Good Universities Guide 2013, recent engineering graduates, on average, earned $60,705 — one of the highest salaries of any field.
Opportunities to migrate to Australia
The field of engineering is experiencing rapid growth in Australia. Because skilled migration is linked to Australia’s economic needs, international students who are qualified in engineering are considered a high priority for permanent residency visas. Graduates may choose to take up one of the following migration opportunities.