SHORTAGE IN N.Z. OF ENGINEERS

Press, Volume LXXXVI, Issue 26119, 23 May 1950, Page 3

SHORTAGE IN N.Z. OF ENGINEERS

“SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES” THOUGHT LIKELY

(New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, May 22. “The departure of trained arid experienced engineers attracted to Australia or elsewhere by salaries more commensurate with the responsibilities of their profession /may be followed by serious national consequences. for the profession is even now much below needed strength, and there are not enough engineers to go round,” said the president of the Prafessional Engineers’ Association (Mr L. F. Withers) to-day. “The standing of the New Zealand engineer is high, but this country is already in urgent need of a considerable numerical strengthening in all departments of the profession—so much so that there are almost 300 engineering positions which cannot be filled. That means that one vacancy exists for every four engineers en gaged in New Zealand, a serious matter when the national standard of living, the country’s development, its production, its transport, and the health of all depend very greatly upon the activities of the engineer.” Mr Withers said the effect of the departure of engineers to take up positions in Australia would, perhaps, be most evident to the public in hydroelectric expansion, where the difficulty of building a professional staff that was essential to cope with the urgency of the task had given concern for some time.

His association believed that the shortage of 286 engineers established by a consultative committee in 1948 was even greater to-day. and that the shortage had been brought about by lack of reasonable rewards in the profession.