A guide to current recruitment hotspots for architects and designers around Australia has been released, covering the first quarter of 2015.
The Hays Quarterly Report for Construction & Property released this week breaks down insights state-by-state and for professions including architects, urban designers, planners, interior designers and Revit/Bim and Cad epxerts.
The report shows positive signs for the lokes of CAD experts, condiered to be in high demand, as are architects with large multi-residential experience.
The January - March 2015, Architecture reports says in New South Wales many contract roles became available at the end of 2014, however the outlook for new projects in 2015 is as yet unclear and so employers will continue to recruit on a temporary basis.
“In Queensland we expect demand for contractors to continue to grow this quarter as new projects are in the pipeline and short-term contracts offer employers the flexibility to extend or finish contractors as and when required,” the recruiters says.
“We are seeing a stabilisation in the number of candidates available in South Australia as many have left the industry or state after a couple of years of consolidation across the sector.
“In contrast to many other states, in Perth companies are choosing to employ candidates in a permanent capacity rather than on temporary contracts. However town planning is still tight due to local council amalgamations. This will continue to impact the market as councils are looking for contract staff rather than offering permanent positions in this area.”
Hotspots
Urban Designers – Designers with CAD skills are rare but given the current increase in greenfield and brownfield design work they are in high demand.
All-round Architects – Employers are looking for candidates who have at least five years’ experience and the ability to manage projects from concept to construction, as well as the ability to document throughout the process.
Revit/BIM – Revit Drafters and Architects that are proficient with Revit and Building Information Modelling software are in high demand, especially those with commercial and multi-residential project experience.
Interior Designers – Employers are recruiting confident Interior Designers who have creative flare in South Australia. Candidates must be proficient on 3D Max, Photoshop, Revit and Rhino. The ideal candidate must have a consultative approach to their work and be able to communicate at all levels.
Statutory Planners – Candidates who are immediately available and can work on a contract basis are in strong demand in Queensland due to the increased number of development application approvals.
Town Planners - In Perth’s public sector local council amalgamations will lead to a short-term increase in temporary roles for Town Planners as new organisational structures and cultures take time to be formalised and come into effect. Candidates with dRofus skills are also in demand as the new software is relatively unknown in Western Australia.
Multi-residential Architects – We are also seeing a need for Architects with large multi-residential experience as this is a project hotspot at present, especially in Sydney, Brisbane and the Gold Coast. Graduate Architects with two to five years’ experience on multi-residential projects are in particular demand.
Project Architects – In another localised trend, multi-unit residential projects are booming in Sydney and as a result employers need Project Architects to run them. Project leaders are also needed for commercial developments. Candidates must have design and coordination experience, along with people management skills.
Design Architects – With many new projects in their initial stages, Design Architects are needed to do front-end design In Western Australia. There is a shortage of candidates because most graduates specialise as Project Architects rather than Design Architects. Candidates with two to ten years’ experience are particularly sought after.
ArchiCAD – Many smaller businesses that specialise in residential projects are looking for candidates who have three to four years of experience working on ArchiCAD to create single build documentation and design. There is particular demand in Queensland for candidates to have combined understanding of ‘Queenslanders’, masonry and brick veneer builds.
