Engineers Australia’s National Congress met in Melbourne this May to connect and collaborate with the Board and Executive team. Congress is made up of around 30 members representing divisions, disciplinary colleges, technical societies, special interest groups and national committees.

Over the day they heard from a variety of Engineers Australia employees about work underway, feedback from members and industry, and strategic priorities for the future.

National President and Board Chair Dr Nick Fleming told the group that Engineers Australia has successfully built its standing among key stakeholders over the past year.

“CEO roundtables and interaction with committees are demonstrating a high level of goodwill for Engineers Australia,” Dr Fleming said.

CEO Romilly Madew AO said the clear message coming from the CEO roundtables and industry engagement is that industry partners and engineering employers are looking to Engineers Australia to take the lead on elevating the visibility and influence of the profession.

“This includes a stronger focus on the challenges of the engineering workforce, climate smart engineering, AUKUS and nuclear engineering and infrastructure,” Ms Madew said.

Ms Madew said that her vision is for Engineers Australia to be the pre-eminent professional body. A credible and influential organisation that advances society through great engineering, and which is recognised by the community.

“For the second consecutive year, we have sat at the top of the Ethics Index published by the Governance Institute of Australia, highlighting our focus on trust, ethics and high levels of integrity,” Ms Madew said.

Addressing the recently launched annual plan, Ms Madew said the priorities were to evolve standards for future engineers, introduce new ways of volunteering for members, be more visible and influential in the nation’s interest and build effective industry partnerships.

Key achievements:

• 2023 Royal Charter and By-Laws approved by Governor-General
• Launched 2023-24 strategy
• Developed an international plan identifying our focus, desired outcomes and key activities to be informed by feedback from discussion groups
• Delivered pilot policy and advocacy training program in Darwin; designed to grow our capacity in public policy
• Launched office bearer and volunteer hub.