Move to halt brain drain

SWISH: The design for the engineering charge badges.

CHECK: LSMT Joshua Hallion on HMAS Anzac.

Photo: POPH Damian Pawlenko

By LCDR Antony Underwood

Better pay, retention allowances and a move towards a firmer link with professional civil qualifications are being offered as inducements to stem the departure of engineers and technicians from the ranks.

The Navy Engineering Branch is in for a major shake-up as the Service comes to grips with retention issues associated with the national shortage of engineers and mechanical and electrical artisans.

In two recent lengthy signals, the Chief of Navy and the Director General Navy Systems – the Chief Naval Engineer – detail plans to reduce the loss of qualified engineers and tradespeople against a backdrop of a shortfall of some 30,000 engineers across the country and many more in allied trades.

Together the signals prescribe a three-phase plan which will bring immediate benefits for many currently serving and more profound improvements as the medium and longer term phases are rolled out.

The engineering officers and technical sailors packages in the plan follow an extensive review of motivation for members either remaining in or departing from the Navy.

And a team of specialists are currently touring major establishments to explain the initiatives to engineering officers and technical sailors.

A recurring theme in the signals is the need for both sailors and officers to pursue greater competency through further study in their fields of expertise, obtain further qualifications and meet the requirements for civil recognition of their skills.

Technical sailors retention
Measures to improve the lot of technical sailors (MT, ET and AT rates) include:

• Targeted retention allowances for specific ranks and critical skill sets within the designated critical categories.
• Pursuit of better pay where the Service can demonstrate an increase in work value and training.
• Encouragement of all technical sailors to actively pursue competency logs and operator qualifications.
• Redevelopment of technical training to provide for civil accreditation and open the academic pathway for those interested in pursuing careers as commissioned officers.
• Improving training throughput with an overhaul of the waterfront skills development centres and establishment of 26 training bunks in the landing platforms auxiliary (LPAs), HMA Ships Kanimbla and Manoora.
• Conducting a review of Fleet Intermediate Maintenance Activity (FIMA), beginning with FIMA Waterhen, to ensure technical sailors have meaningful employment ashore and that their activities match the requirements of the Fleet now and in the future.
  
  Engineering officers retention
  Marine Engineer (ME) and Weapons Electrical Engineer (WE) officer retention measures include:
  
  
• An interim officer retention allowance which received ministerial approval on May 24 ranging from a basic $5000 per annum for charge qualified officers, to $10,000 pa for those holding a certificate of competency, to a maximum of $15,000 pa for charge endorsed engineers.
• Postgraduate development opportunities provided through the establishment of three permanent postgraduate positions for LEUT/ LCDR ME/WE charge qualified officers on the Australian Technical Staff Officers Course (ATSOC) to begin next January.
• A continuous professional development program with specific enhancements including greater access to short professional courses and the development of an engineer mentoring program.
• Access for RAN-registered members of the professional body, Engineers Australia, to $2000 per annum in professional development funds to help obtain and maintain chartered status; and
• Issue of engineer officer’s charge badges expected in October 2005.

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