The value of real consultancy*

Abstract

The problems of an ageing workforce and loss of corporate memory are often cited as reasons for process safety incidents and declining standards of operation. Coupled with the mobility of the Australian engineering workforce, it poses the question: how do we establish a brain trust, a source of knowledge for the benefit of the industry?

Our industry continues to operate with a silo mentality, project competing with project, concentrating on recruiting internal resources or direct hire on a contract basis to secure the resources they need. Not only is this strategy obviously failing to secure the resources, it heats the market. Furthermore, the engineers in question have little opportunity to improve their skills—even less downtime to innovate.

The potential benefit of grouping experienced and technically excellent engineers together to cross-pollinate and create original approaches to known problems is being missed. Supporting the establishment of a thriving consultancy market would enable teams of high-quality engineers to be created, adding real value to the industry as a result of the stimulation of our most knowledgeable people assets. By pooling the knowledge of our better engineers, we create the opportunity for best practice to be established and spread in our industry.

The constant drain of people leaving the industry having made their money can perhaps be stemmed if there is a prospect of stimulating and varied work. This must be a sensible course of action for a nation with huge natural resources that need to be harnessed efficiently.