Industry insights on skills needs
According to the Property Services IRC’s 2019 Skills Forecast, the top generic skills for the Property Services industry as a whole, and therefore for the Architectural, Survey and Related Services sector are, in addition to knowledge specific to the industry area:
- Managerial / Leadership
- Language, Literacy and Numeracy (LLN) (Foundation skills)
- Customer service / Marketing
- Financial
- Technology.
According to job vacancy data, the top generic skills in demand in the Architectural, Surveying and Related Services sector are:
- Communication skills
- Planning
- Detail oriented
- Problem solving
- Building effective relationships.
The job vacancy data identifies the following occupations as most in-demand for this sector: Civil Engineer, Electrical Engineer, Graphic Designer, Engineering Professionals, and Engineering Managers. The top employers for the sector include AECOM Technology Corporation and Downer EDI, among other engineering services companies.
Additionally, the National Skills Commission’s Skills Priority List: June 2021 shows the occupations of Architect, Landscape Architect, Urban and Regional Planner, Civil Engineer, Structural Engineer, Quantity Surveyor, and Surveyor as having strong future demand. The occupations of Civil Engineering Draftsperson, Civil Engineering Technician, Architectural Draftsperson, Surveying or Spatial Science Technician are listed as having moderate future growth.
The Property Services IRC’s 2019 Skills Forecast identifies Building Information Modelling (BIM) as a factor to impact not only the Architecture and Surveying sector, but also those sectors such as Construction which it interacts with. BIM is expected to replace traditional computer aided design (CAD) systems, and some jurisdictions are beginning to requite BIM for large government construction projects. It is important that workers in Architectural, Surveying and Related Services have the skills necessary to use and incorporate BIM into their everyday practice. This will enable business to take advantage of the efficiencies available from this kind of technology. The use of drones is also identified for Surveying to safely and efficiently capture spatial and mapping data, especially over large areas.
The report Future Role of the Property Services IRC reveals that the built environment value chain is integral in Australia’s contribution to sustainable development, but is experiencing significant disruption including Building Information Modelling (BIM), robotics, automation and advanced manufacturing with the impacts being felt right across the value chain.
While skill development projects in Fire Protection were well advanced in 2019, The Property Services IRC’s 2020 Skills Forecast reaffirms the need for planning and preparedness skills in order to minimise the impact of bushfires on the built environment. Proposing the development of a new qualification for all involved in bushfire planning, development and compliance reporting in response to the widespread bushfires seen in early 2020. Also identified is an increasing focus on building performance and compliance, in response to the Building Confidence Report.
The Property Services IRC’s 2018 Skills Forecast highlights a number of trends impacting this sector, including industry convergence, empowered consumers, sustainability and digitisation. Industry convergence represents a demand from consumers to patronise business that offer an integrated range of services. This means a business may provide both architecture and engineering consulting and construction services for a project, often bundling to lower the price.
Sustainability concerns have led to increased demand for sustainable or ‘green’ building. This means those working in this sector need skills in the design of this sustainably focused building, and knowledge of the latest environmental developments in technology and materials.
