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What Do Young Australian Engineers Want? Strategies to Attract This Talent to Less Glamorous Industries

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Workforce Development

Abstract

Chapters in Book 1 of this two-volume set explored literature pertaining to the shortage of engineers in Australia, the ageing engineering workforce, issues of skilled migration, and career development and pathways. The companion chapter to this one in Book 1 explored attraction and image issues of certain industries that required a pipeline of engineers. This chapter will reflect on our research with final-year engineering students in Australian universities and TAFE colleges regarding their career aspirations, industries and/or organisations that they identify as attractive employers, and their perceptions of a low-profile industry, namely the Australian rail industry. This chapter will also discuss specific, evidence-based strategies and activities to enhance the image and attraction of low-profile industries.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Southern Cross University Business School, Gold Coast, QLD, Australia

    Michelle Wallace & Neroli Sheldon

  2. School of Management, Curtin Business School, Curtin University, Bentley, WA, Australia

    Roslyn Cameron

  3. QUT Business School, Queensland University of Technology in Brisbane, Brisbane, QLD, Australia

    Ian Lings

Authors
  1. Michelle Wallace
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  2. Neroli Sheldon
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  3. Roslyn Cameron
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  4. Ian Lings
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Michelle Wallace .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Education, Equity and Work Research Group, University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes, South Australia, Australia

    Tom Short

  2. Education, Equity and Work Research Group, University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes, South Australia, Australia

    Roger Harris

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© 2014 Springer Science+Business Media Singapore

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Wallace, M., Sheldon, N., Cameron, R., Lings, I. (2014). What Do Young Australian Engineers Want? Strategies to Attract This Talent to Less Glamorous Industries. In: Short, T., Harris, R. (eds) Workforce Development. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-287-068-1_3

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