Are you looking for your next career? Learn more about which jobs are expected to grow strongly in the next 3 years so you can make the best decisions!
The Australian Government’s Job Outlook website is an amazing resource full of valuable employment information including high growth careers and we’ve already summarised the most recent data to make your life easier! It is projected that the following careers will experience high demand and job growth until at least 2018.
Every Australian Job Seeker Should Know These 7 Fast Growing Careers
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If you are on the lookout for new career opportunities in Australia, watch out for these fast growing jobs:
1. Secondary School Teachers
Australia needs help educating our precious youth.
Growth has been sporadic in recent years, but current and expected growth is strong with a high level of job openings expected in this profession. The number of secondary school teachers is expected to increase to 142,000 by the end of 2018, compared to the 129,000 in 2013. The number of secondary school teachers in full time work is above average, with 79.8% holding full time positions.
What training do I need to work as a secondary school teacher?
A Bachelor’s Degree or higher is normally required to become a secondary school teacher. You will develop essential skills including instruction techniques, public speaking, and making use of learning strategies when you train to enter this career.
Some teachers pursue further qualifications such as the Certificate IV in Training and Assessment to expand their career opportunities. This qualification is required to deliver recognised training and assessment as a TAFE teacher or trainer at a Registered Training Organisation.
This qualification overlaps with your teaching qualifications so you can “fast track” your training accreditation and pursue opportunities to work as a nationally accredited trainer. You can even receive credit for your work experience in school as a teacher!
2. Occupational & Environmental Health Professionals
Ensuring employees’ health and safety at work is essential under Australia’s labour laws. This has made occupational and environmental health professionals essential across the country, in workplaces ranging from mining sites to city offices.
Occupational & Environmental Health Professionals have enjoyed very high job growth over the last 10 years. The industry is expected to continue growing very strongly until at least 2018, with a workforce of 30,000+ people. Although opportunities can be found in many states in Australia, the majority of current jobs can be found in Queensland (24.1%), Victoria (23.9%), New South Wales (21.2%) and Western Australia (20.2%).
What training do I need to work as an Occupational & Environmental Health Professional?
Occupational & Environmental Health Professionals are most commonly degree qualified (42%) but nearly as many people (41%) have found employment with a vocational qualification such as the Certificate III or IV in Work Health and Safety, or the Diploma of Work Health and Safety.
3. Program and Project Administrators
Do you know how to manage, analyse and oversee programs and projects? There are job opportunities for Program and Project Administrators across the country if you have this set of skills.
There has been rapid employment growth in this area over the last 10 years with a 148.2% increase in the number of people employed as Program and Project Administrators. Growth is expected to remain strong until at least 2018 with over 50,000 job openings during that time.
What training do I need to work as a Program and Project Administrator?
Nearly half of Program and Project Administrators hold a Bachelor Degree or higher level qualification, but there are still opportunities if you haven’t been to university. Over 30% of people employed in this industry hold a vocational qualification such as the Certificate IV or Diploma of Project Management, while around 22% report only a high school level education.
4. Human Resource Professionals
Nearly every workplace needs someone to care for and manage its human resources.
Human Resources Professionals maximise employee performance for their employer through recruitment, training and development, performance appraisal, and rewards such as pay and benefit systems. As a result, Human Resources has become a high growth sector.
You are likely to find vacancies in most Australian regions with employment for this position expected to grow strongly between 2013 and 2018. Somewhere between 25,001 and 50,000 job openings are predicted during that period. There are expected to be many opportunities in closely related jobs too, with up to 10,000 job openings for HR clerks and up to 50,000 for HR managers.
What training do I need to work as a human resources professional?
A bachelor degree or higher qualification is common among HR professionals, but many people are also employed in the sector with a vocational qualification such as a Diploma or the Certificate IV in Human Resources. Approximately one quarter of HR professionals also report only having a high school level education.
5. Child Care Workers and Early Childhood Educators
Do you have a soft spot for teaching and caring for kids? You could help fill the high demand for child workers and early childhood educators.
New regulations are currently being rolled out in Australia to improve the quality of child care. A big part of this is the reduction in the maximum number of children each child carer can handle which can be as low as 1:4. This means that child care education centres now require more workers and this has lead to a shortage of qualified candidates in some areas of the country.
As a result, there are expected to be more than 50,000 job openings between 2013 and 2018. Child care centre managers will also have opportunities with an expected 5,000 to 10,000 job openings and high job growth during that period.
What training do I need to work as a Child Care Worker or Early Childhood Educator?
All child care workers are required to hold or be studying at least the Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care to work in registered Australian long day care centres. This means a lot of job opportunities are restricted to qualified workers only.
At least 50% early childhood educators working in long day care services must also have or be working towards a Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care qualification too, and it’s required to work as a centre manager. Developing more advanced qualifications can help you open up new career opportunities.
6. Bookkeepers and Accounting Clerks
As the Australian economy grows, more people are required to perform vital money management tasks. From tracking wages and finances to making sure organisations follow proper documentation rules, bookkeepers and accounting clerks handle many important duties.
This industry is already well developed but is still expected to grow over the next few years. Most notable is the huge number of expected job openings in this sector, with the Job Outlook website predicting more than 50,000 job openings between 2013 and 2018! Most people live and work in the largest states and territories but these skills are required by businesses all over Australia.
What training do I need to apply to apply to work as an Accounting Clerk or Bookkeeper?
Bookkeeping and accounting clerk work has low educational requirements, so nearly half the people working in this sector only have a high school level education. Vocational qualifications like the Certificate IV in Bookkeeping or Diploma of Accounting are also popular as they can be used to develop important skills. At least a Certificate IV in Accounting or Bookkeeping is required to register as a BAS Agent which is essential to provide BAS services as a contract bookkeeper.
7. Aged and Disabled Carers
Aged and disabled care is one of the fastest growing industries at the moment. Aged and disability care workers are involved in personal care, organizing social activities, food preparation, and providing general friendship and support.
Over the last decade, employment of aged carers rose very strongly and is not likely to stop for years. The overall number of carers is expected to increase from 2013’s 127,000 to more than 167,000 in 2018, with work opportunities in many regions.
What training do I need to apply to work in Aged and Disabled Care?
Employers typically look for actual skills and experience in their applicants. As a result, more than 43% of current carers have qualifications like the Certificate III in Aged Care or Disability. Aside from education, work experience is also important. Fortunately, aged care and disability courses already include up to 240 placement hours in an actual work environment.
Summary of Fast Growing Careers in Australia
Do your research before deciding which career is right for you. Hopefully this list has given you some ideas about which jobs and industries are expected to have a lot of opportunities for work in the coming years.
Take advantage of the data provided on the Job Outlook website to find the right job for you, and be sure to check out careers as:
- Childhood, Aged and Disability Carers
- Secondary School Teachers
- Human Resources Professionals and Accounting Clerks
- Occupational Health and Safety Officers and Project Administrators
Are you ready to start your new career yet? Make sure you have the right training qualifications on your resume and develop the experience you need to get into whichever career you choose.
