September 13, 2008: The
Australian navy has been suffering from a serious engineer (techie) shortage
for several years now. There are shortages of both officers and sailors with
technical skills. With a total strength of 13,000, being short a few dozen
people in some job categories can have serious repercussions, and that's what
happened to the submarine force (which can only muster enough technical people
to put three of their six submarines to sea). For example, the navy is short
about a third of the marine engineering officers it needs. There are less
serious shortages in officers specializing in electrical systems and weapons
systems. Australian warships have been
active in the war on terror, resulting in many crews being away from home for
up to six months at a time.
The reason for the shortage is Australia's booming economy. There is a
huge demand for technically trained people, especially in the mining operations
that are hustling to keep up with the growing demand from China for raw
materials. The mining companies pay much more than the navy, and the admirals
can't get enough money out of parliament to compete. The navy is responding
with some cash bonuses (especially for submarine techs), better living and
working conditions, and other fringe benefits. But it isn't enough, and the
Australian navy is losing its ability to put to sea, for want of a few hundred
key technical personnel.
