Electrical Engineering Draftspersons

ANZSCO ID 312311

Overview

Snapshot

Employed
2,000
Future Growth
N/A
Weekly Earnings
N/A
Full-Time Share
84%
Female Share
17%
Average age
43

Summary

Electrical Engineering Draftspersons prepare detailed drawings and plans of electrical installations and circuitry in support of Electrical Engineers and Engineering Technologists.

Specialisations: Electrical Engineering Design Draftsperson, Electrical Engineering Detail Draftsperson, Electrical Engineering Drafting Officer, Relays Draftsperson, Substation Design Draftsperson.

A diploma or advanced diploma in electrical engineering or another related field is usually needed to work as an Electrical Engineering Draftsperson. Some workers have a university qualification.

Tasks

  • Prepares drawings, plans and diagrams of electrical installations and circuitry.

  • Assists electrical engineers and engineering technologists in design and layout of electrical installations and circuitry on substations, switchgear, cabling systems and motor control systems.

Characteristics

Job Type
Technicians And Trades Workers
Skill Level
High skill
ANZSCO Occupation group
Unemployment Rate
n/a
Industries
Pathway(s)
  • University
  • Vocational Education and Training (VET)
Interests
  • Practical
  • Analytical
  • Administrative
Physical Demand
  • Light

Outlook

Employment Outlook

JSA produces employment projections to show where likely future job opportunities may be. Employment projections data are only produced for occupations at the broad four digit Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO) level. While data are not available for this occupation, projections data are available for the parent occupation, Electrical Engineering Draftspersons, Technicians, under the outlook section.


Earnings and hours

Working arrangements

  • Around 84% of people employed as Electrical Engineering Draftspersons work full-time hours, in all their jobs combined. This is 18 percentage points above the all jobs average (66%).

    Full-time workers work an average of 42 hours per week in their main job. This is similar to the all jobs average (44 hours per week).

    Sources:Full-time share and full-time hours: ABS, 2016 Census, customised report. Compared to the all jobs average.


Industries

Main industries

1
Professional, Scientific and Technical Services
31.6%
2
Electricity, Gas, Water and Waste Services
27.9%
3
Construction
14.6%
4
Manufacturing
10.3%
5
Other industries
11.1%

Regions

Employment across Australia

NSW

21.7% All occupations: 31.6%

VIC

22.4% All occupations: 25.6%

QLD

27.7% All occupations: 20.0%

SA

6.8% All occupations: 7.0%

WA

18.1% All occupations: 10.8%

TAS

2.1% All occupations: 2.0%

NT

0.6% All occupations: 1.0%

ACT

0.6% All occupations: 1.9%

Employment by State and Territory (% Share)

State Electrical Engineering Draftspersons All Jobs Average
NSW 21.7 31.6
VIC 22.4 25.6
QLD 27.7 20.0
SA 6.8 7.0
WA 18.1 10.8
TAS 2.1 2.0
NT 0.6 1.0
ACT 0.6 1.9


  • Around 62% of Electrical Engineering Draftspersons live in capital cities, similar to the all jobs average of 62%.

    Queensland and Western Australia have a large share of employment relative to their population size.

    The regions with the largest share of workers are:

    Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Share of workers across Australian states, territories and regions, in this job compared to the all jobs average.


Worker profile

Age and gender

Age In Years
43
All Jobs Average is 40
Female Share
17%
All Jobs Average is 48%
  • The median age of Electrical Engineering Draftspersons is 43 years. This is higher than the all jobs average of 40 years.

    A large share of workers are aged 25 to 34 years.

    Females make up 17% of the workforce. This is 31 percentage points below the all jobs average of 48%.

    Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile and gender share compared to the all jobs average.

Age Profile (% Share)

Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.
Age Bracket Electrical Engineering Draftspersons All Jobs Average
15-19 0.3 5.0
20-24 4.4 9.3
25-34 25.0 22.9
35-44 24.0 22.0
45-54 23.5 21.6
55-59 11.1 9.0
60-64 7.5 6.0
65 and Over 4.2 4.2
Median Age 43 40

Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.


Employment Pathways

Education, training and experience

A diploma or advanced diploma in electrical engineering or another related field is usually needed to work as an Electrical Engineering Draftsperson. Some workers have a university qualification.

Visit

  • Course Seeker to search and compare higher education courses.
  • ComparED to compare undergraduate and postgraduate student experiences and outcomes.
  • My Skills to compare Vocational Education and Training (VET) courses, providers and student outcomes.
  • AAPathways website to explore Electrotechnology, Transmission & Distribution, Electricity Supply Industry - Generation Sector and Metal and Engineering VET training pathways.

Highest Level of Education (% Share)

Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.
Type of Qualification Electrical Engineering Draftspersons All Jobs Average
Post Graduate/Graduate Diploma or Graduate Certificate 4.1 10.1
Bachelor degree 17.4 21.8
Advanced Diploma/Diploma 35.3 11.6
Certificate III/IV 31.4 21.1
Year 12 8.4 18.1
Year 11 1.3 4.8
Year 10 and below 2.2 12.5

Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.


Skills and Knowledge

Employers look for Electrical Engineering Draftspersons, Technicians who are reliable, work well in a team and have a strong work ethic.

Skills

Skills can be improved through training or experience.

  • 63%

    Reading comprehension

    Reading work related information.

  • 55%

    Critical thinking

    Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.

  • 55%

    Monitoring

    Keeping track of how well work is progressing so you can make changes or improvements.

  • 54%

    Complex problem solving

    Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.

  • 52%

    Judgment and decision making

    Figuring out the pros and cons of different options and choosing the best one.

  • 52%

    Mathematics

    Using maths to solve problems.

  • 52%

    Speaking

    Talking to others.

  • 52%

    Troubleshooting

    Figuring out why a machine or system went wrong and working out what to do about it.

  • 52%

    Writing

    Writing things for co-workers or customers.

  • 50%

    Active listening

    Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.

  • 50%

    Active learning

    Being able to use what you have learnt to solve problems now and again in the future.

  • 50%

    Operation monitoring

    Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.

  • 48%

    Coordination with others

    Being adaptable and coordinating work with other people.

  • 48%

    Instructing

    Teaching people how to do something.

  • 48%

    Quality control analysis

    Doing tests and checking products, services, or processes to make sure they are working properly.

  • 48%

    Systems evaluation

    Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.

  • 46%

    Time management

    Managing your own and other peoples' time to get work done.

  • 46%

    Management of personnel resources

    Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, and choosing the best people for the job.

  • 46%

    Science

    Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.

  • 43%

    Systems analysis

    Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect it.


Knowledge

These are important topics, subjects or knowledge areas.

  • 85%

    Technical design

    Design techniques, tools, and principles used to make detailed technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.

  • 83%

    Engineering and technology

    Use engineering, science and technology to design and produce goods and services.

  • 82%

    Computers and electronics

    Circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

  • 70%

    Mathematics

    Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics.

  • 65%

    Mechanical

    Machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.

  • 64%

    English language

    English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

  • 63%

    Physics

    The physical laws of matter, motion and energy, and how they interact through space and time.

  • 60%

    Production and processing

    Raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and ways of making and distributing goods.

  • 59%

    Customer and personal service

    Understanding customer needs, providing good quality service, and measuring customer satisfaction.

  • 57%

    Clerical

    Word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office work.

  • 56%

    Administration and management

    Business principles involved in strategic planning, leadership, and coordinating people and resources.

  • 50%

    Telecommunications

    Transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.

  • 49%

    Education and training

    Curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

  • 47%

    Public safety and security

    Use of equipment, rules and ideas to protect people, data, property, and institutions.

  • 46%

    Personnel and human resources

    Recruiting and training people, managing pay and other entitlements (like sick leave), and negotiating pay and conditions.

  • 46%

    Law and government

    How our laws and courts work. Government rules and regulations, and the political system.

  • 43%

    Sales and marketing

    Showing, promoting, and selling including marketing strategy, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.

  • 43%

    Building and construction

    Materials, and methods used to construct or repair houses, buildings, or other structures like highways and roads.

  • 40%

    Communications and media

    Media production, communication, and dissemination. Includes written, spoken, and visual media.

  • 31%

    Economics and accounting

    Economics and accounting, the financial markets, banking and checking and reporting of financial data.


Abilities

Workers use these physical and mental abilities..

  • 63%

    Oral comprehension

    Listen to and understand what people say.

  • 63%

    Oral expression

    Communicate by speaking.

  • 61%

    Written comprehension

    Read and understand written information.

  • 55%

    Deductive reasoning

    Use general rules to find answers or solve problems logically.

  • 55%

    Near vision

    See details that are up-close (within a few feet).

  • 55%

    Sorting or ordering

    Order or arrange things in a pattern or sequence (e.g., numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).

  • 54%

    Problem spotting

    Notice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong, even if you can't solve the problem.

  • 54%

    Categorising

    Come up with different ways of grouping things.

  • 54%

    Inductive reasoning

    Use lots of detailed information to come up with answers or make general rules.

  • 54%

    Visualization

    Imagine how something will look after it is moved around or changed.

  • 52%

    Mathematics

    Choose the right maths method or formula to solve a problem.

  • 52%

    Written expression

    Write in a way that people can understand.

  • 48%

    Perceptual speed

    Use your eyes to quickly compare groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.

  • 48%

    Working with numbers

    Add, subtract, multiply, or divide.

  • 48%

    Speech recognition

    Identify and understand the speech of another person.

  • 46%

    Flexibility of closure

    See a pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) hidden in other distracting material.

  • 46%

    Speech clarity

    Speak clearly so others can understand you.

  • 45%

    Colour discrimination

    Notice differences between colours, including shades of colour and brightness.

  • 43%

    Selective attention

    Pay attention to something without being distracted.

  • 39%

    Far vision

    See details that are far away.


Activities

These are kinds of activities workers regularly do in this job.

  • 77%

    Drafting, laying out, and specifying parts

    Detailing and describing how devices, parts or equipment are to be made, assembled, modified, maintained, or used.

  • 77%

    Keeping your knowledge up-to-date

    Keeping up-to-date with technology and new ideas.

  • 75%

    Collecting and organising information

    Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or checking information or data.

  • 74%

    Thinking creatively

    Using your own ideas for developing, designing, or creating something new.

  • 73%

    Making decisions and solving problems

    Using information to work out the best solution and solve problems.

  • 73%

    Planning and prioritising work

    Deciding on goals and putting together a detailed plan to get the work done.

  • 72%

    Checking compliance with standards

    Deciding whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.

  • 72%

    Documenting or recording information

    Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.

  • 70%

    Working with computers

    Using computers to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.

  • 68%

    Communicating within a team

    Giving information to co-workers by telephone, in writing, or in person.

  • 68%

    Making sense of information and ideas

    Looking at, working with, and understanding data or information.

  • 67%

    Monitoring people, processes and things

    Checking objects, actions, or events, and keeping an eye out for problems.

  • 66%

    Giving expert advice

    Providing guidance and expert advice to management or other groups.

  • 64%

    Checking for errors or defects

    Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials for errors, problems or defects.

  • 62%

    Scheduling work and activities

    Working out the timing of events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others.

  • 61%

    Researching and investigating

    Looking for, getting and understanding different kinds of information.

  • 60%

    Explaining things to people

    Helping people to understand and use information.

  • 60%

    Looking for changes over time

    Comparing objects, actions, or events. Looking for differences between them or changes over time.

  • 59%

    Estimating amounts, costs and resources

    Working out sizes, distances, amounts, time, costs, resources, or materials needed for a task.

  • 58%

    Assessing and evaluating things

    Working out the value, importance, or quality of things, services or people.


Interests and demands

Learn about the daily activities, and physical and social demands faced by workers. Explore the values and work styles that workers rate as most important.

Interests

Interests are the style or type of work we prefer to do. All interest areas are shown below.

  • 95%

    Practical

    Practical, hands-on work. Often with plants and animals, or materials like wood, tools, and machinery.

  • 76%

    Analytical

    Ideas and thinking. Searching for facts and figuring out problems in your head.

  • 57%

    Administrative

    Following set procedures and routines. Working with numbers and details more than with ideas, usually following rules.

  • 38%

    Enterprising

    Starting up and carrying out projects. Leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes require risk taking and often deal with business.

  • 29%

    Creative

    Working with forms, designs and patterns. Often need self-expression and can be done without following rules.

  • 19%

    Helping

    Working with people. Helping or providing service to others.


Values

Work values are important to a person’s feeling of satisfaction. All six values are shown below.
  • 76%

    Support

    Supportive management that stands behind employees. Workers are treated fairly by their company, they are supported by management, and have supervisors who train them well.

  • 69%

    Working conditions

    Job security and good working conditions. There is usually a steady flow of interesting work, and the pay and conditions are generally good.

  • 67%

    Achievement

    Results oriented. Workers are able to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment.

  • 67%

    Independence

    Work alone and make decisions. Workers are able to try out their own ideas, make decisions on their own, and work with little or no supervision.

  • 48%

    Recognition

    Advancement and the potential to lead. Workers are recognised for the work that they do, they may give directions and instructions to others, and they are looked up to in their company and their community.

  • 43%

    Relationships

    Serve and work with others. Workers usually get along well with each other, do things to help other people, and are rarely pressured to do things that go against their sense of right and wrong.


Demands

The physical and social demands that workers face most often are shown below:
  • 100%

    Electronic mail

    Use electronic mail.

  • 98%

    Indoors, heat controlled

    Work indoors with access to heating or cooling.

  • 96%

    Face-to-face discussions

    Talk with people face-to-face.

  • 93%

    Freedom to make decisions

    Have freedom to make decision on your own.

  • 90%

    Unstructured work

    Have freedom to decide on tasks, priorities, and goals.

  • 89%

    Telephone

    Talk on the telephone.

  • 87%

    Being exact or accurate

    Be very exact or highly accurate.

  • 85%

    Spend time sitting

    Spend time sitting at work.

  • 83%

    Wear common protective or safety equipment

    Wear equipment like safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hard hats or life jackets.

  • 82%

    Impact of decisions

    Make decisions that have a large impact on other people.

  • 81%

    Teamwork

    Work with people in a group or team.

  • 79%

    Letters and memos

    Write letters and memos.

  • 76%

    Contact with people

    Have contact with people by telephone, face-to-face, or any other way.

  • 76%

    Responsible for outcomes

    Take responsibility for the results of other people's work.

  • 75%

    Lead or coordinate a team

    Lead others to do work activities.

  • 74%

    Frequent decision making

    Frequently make decisions that impact other people.

  • 71%

    Consequence of error

    Work where mistakes have serious consequences.

  • 70%

    Time pressure

    Work to strict deadlines.

  • 68%

    Loud or uncomfortable sounds

    Be exposed to noises and sounds that are distracting or uncomfortable.

  • 63%

    Health and safety of others

    Take responsibility for the health and safety of others.

Occupational Information Network
O*NET is a trademark of the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration.
The skills and importance ratings on this page are derived from the US Department of Labor O*NET Database Version 21.2, 17-3029.02 - Electrical Engineering Technologists.


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