Engineers Australia have launched a $2.5 million campaign to attract new people to the profession, in the hope of helping fight the skill shortage.
An advertising campaign named “Make it so” is aimed at engaging the public and shedding light on engineering as a career. Engineers Australia is asking Australians to suggest ideas of what could be invented, with the winner having the right to have their idea turn reality by a team of engineers.
"We did some research last year, and there was a long-held concern by the profession that engineering and its contribution is not well understood. The second issue is, we know there is going to be a skills shortage even though university intakes have traditionally been strong,” commented Jamie Penrose, director of marketing for Engineers Australia.
The campaign has recruited over 8000 engineers to work as advocates, and it will also involve a radio campaign and the use of social networking sites Facebook and Twitter.
"Through the Make It So campaign we want to capture the imagination of Australians and involve them in the world of engineering in a fun and engaging way,” added Penrose.
