The new jobs that are emerging for Australian jobseekers to make money

These are the jobs that no one had ever heard of 10 years ago that are now employing thousands of Australians.

Cara JenkinCareers editor

@V8GirlCara

4 min read

February 26, 2021 - 11:30AM

News Corp Australia Network

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SOLAR installers, fundraisers, nurse liaisons and data scientists are some of the emerging occupations that have provided significant new job opportunities in the past decade.

The National Skills Commission has identified 22 emerging occupations across six categories – digital deepening, data analytics, emerging business practices, regulatory, health, and sustainability engineering and trades.

Another three occupations are included under the category “refreshed”, as the name stays the same but the role has changed.

Many occupations may require the base skills for existing roles but the work is so different that workers require new or additional qualifications to be employed.

The commission’s Emerging occupations: How new skills are changing Australian jobs report states it is not an exhaustive list of emerging occupations but are the new roles that have been frequently advertised in the past five years.

Solar installers at Instyle Solar Mark Morphett and Kohna Bottos are in jobs that barely existed 10 years ago.

About half of the roles are associated with technology advances and environmental issues that have come to the fore in the community in the past decade.

The rise of various renewable energy sources, for example, to replace and complement traditional sources was requiring many traditional workers, such as electricians, to upskill to construct the infrastructure.

The number of renewable energy projects has particularly increased in the past five years, with the Australian Bureau of Statistics reporting the amount of solar energy produced has doubled, and wind energy has grown by 50 per cent, in the five years to 2018-19.

ABS Centre for Environment and Satellite Accounts director Jonathon Khoo says wind energy was found to supply more power than hydro energy for the first time on record.

“Solar energy saw record growth in 2018-19, with large scale solar projects coming online,” he says.

Solar installers was listed as an emerging occupation under sustainability engineering and trades, along with wind turbine technicians.

In the digital deepening category, digital marketing specialists, social media specialists and user experience analysts are the emerging occupations, thanks to the increased use of social media and digital technologies in the past decade.

IBISWorld reports digital advertising agencies are one of five employment hot spots in coming years, particularly because of the rise of online shopping.

Senior industry analyst Suzy Oo says the attachment to smartphones, tablets and other devices is creating jobs in mobile advertising and social media marketing and management.

“This (attachment) provides a lucrative opportunity for businesses to market their products and brands through paid ads on social media platforms,” she says.

“However, developing an effective marketing campaign and remaining consistent across all media can be difficult for businesses to manage, raising the need to outsource their marketing requirements to digital advertising agencies.”

Data analysts, data scientists, data engineers, data architects and pricing analysts occupations are emerging in the data analytics field, also because of the technological boom.

Instyle Solar lead electrician Mark Morphett has been installing solar panels for seven years.

Q&A

Mark Morphett, 33, lead electrician, Instyle Solar

WHAT QUALIFICATIONS DO YOU HAVE?

I have 17 years’ experience working as an electrician. I’ve also got a Certificate III in Electrotechnology (qualified electrician) and a design and installation accreditation.

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN INSTALLING SOLAR PANELS?

I have been installing solar for the past seven years and, if anything, it feels like the industry is picking up. Across the past 12 months, our team of qualified solar installers have expanded across New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, South Australia, and Western Australia.

WHY THIS KIND OF WORK?

I was looking for a new challenge seven years ago and saw solar as a rapidly evolving and exciting industry to be a part of. I had heard of Instyle Solar through a friend and thought the position offered a new opportunity in an industry to watch. I feel extremely passionate knowing each day we’re helping everyday people reduce their carbon footprint and build a better, more sustainable future. The environmental benefit of solar was a huge factor in my decision to enter the industry.

WHAT’S A TYPICAL DAY LIKE?

My day usually starts at our warehouse at 5:30am and finishes around 4:00pm, depending on the job. At Instyle Solar, we focus on one job each day to ensure the installation is completed to a very high standard. This job may consist of 18 panels or 50 panels – it really depends on the day!

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE PERKS TO THE JOB?

I’m the type of person who loves to keep active and mentally stimulated – so the perks include working outdoors with a supportive team, as well as completing a new job and challenge each day. No day is the same – and it always keep me thinking about what’s next.

At Instyle Solar, we have a culture that supports and encourages career progression and personal development. Across the years, I’ve been fortunate enough to continue to develop my skills and progress up the ranks to lead electrician.