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Exclusive: Healthcare, construction and information technology are dominating the job market in most parts of Australia, with thousands of roles continuing to be advertised amid the COVID-19 downturn.
But Victoria’s lockdown is hurting business confidence well beyond state borders and contributing to a shortage of permanent, full-time work.
Job site Adzuna revealed there were about 11,000 vacancies in Australia’s healthcare and nursing sector on August 3.
This was the top employing sector in every state and territory except the ACT.
There were also about 5700 vacancies in construction and trades, and about 3800 in IT, computing and software.
Adzuna country manager Australia and New Zealand Tejas Deshpande said the health sector would always be in demand.
“The other two sectors which are showing promising job numbers are construction and IT, which both fall under the national priority list from the Department of Education, Skills and Employment,” he said.
“Smart jobseekers who have lost their job during this pandemic should consider upskilling and see this as an opportunity to upskill in the sectors which are showing a shortage and demand in jobs.”
Shortlyster chief executive Rudy Crous said many roles listed since the pandemic were casual or project-based rather than permanent and full time.
“Employers don’t know what is happening in the market so they are hedging their bets,” he said.
“They want to grow their business but are cautious to bring people in on a full-time basis.”
The hiring platform co-founder said employers had been optimistic when restrictions lifted, but caution returned when Victoria went back into lockdown.
“They fear there is going to be a second lockdown (for them) so it has probably slowed down a lot of people’s expectations for the second half growth,” he said.
TAFE QLD Gold Coast general manager Karen Dickinson said TAFE enrolment trends had been significantly influenced by the pandemic, with people moving away from hospitality courses and toward areas such as health.
“People have always considered ‘where are the jobs going to be?’ but that’s more acute right now,” she said.
“People are absolutely thinking about what the community is requiring and the jobs of the future.”
Ms Dickinson highlighted employment opportunities in nursing, aged care, disability care, counselling and mental health, child care, education support and cybersecurity.
“The next layer of opportunity is in the trades, especially construction,” she said.
“The domestic residential market is a little soft but we have major infrastructure so we are holding steady with apprentices at the moment.
“The Australian Government’s investment in wage subsidies is a big bonus.”
Whether motivated by job insecurity or a new perspective gained while in isolation, exclusive figures from Dynata revealed two in five Australians were currently planning to make a career change into a completely new line of work.
This figure jumped to 64 per cent for Millennials (aged 24 to 38).
Adecco Group chief executive Rafael Moyano said anyone planning a career change should first consider extra study as jobseekers in today’s competitive market would need to demonstrate the exact skills employers needed.
“If you don’t have them, you need to be able to re-skill or upskill,” he said.
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Hays regional director Eliza Kirkby recommended jobseekers make a career change based on their current skills as employers were less willing to “take a chance” on candidates – especially if they would be working from home.
“(They need to) give some really clear consideration to what kind of career change they could add value to,” she said.
“Seeking a career change without the relevant skills and qualifications to back it up we would expect to be really difficult.”
Sarina Russo Institute career transition assistance program manager Jo Easton recommended career changers start by reaching out to their networks – including family, friends and past employers.
She said a stint of volunteering could also help them gain relevant experience and referees.
When COVID-19 hit, Gold Coast business Steve P Carpentry was forced to cut its team from 24 to 14 – but it is now in the process of building numbers back up.
Owner Steve Purcell, 29, is on the lookout for two carpentry apprentices and two fully-qualified carpenters.
“We do a lot of large townhouse developments and as soon as COVID hit, the project we were working on got put on hold because the investor got cold feet and didn’t know if people would get secured finance,” he said.
“(About six weeks later) as soon as the government announced the builder’s scheme (HomeBuilder), they rang up and said they had pushed all the contracts through.”
Mr Purcell, from Narang, said it was a good time to be a carpenter.
“It’s hard to find guys at the moment and everyone I speak to is busy,” he said.
“The young fella that wants the job needs to know it’s not a walk in the park, it’s a physical job with long hours, but it’s a rewarding job and you can make good money when you get qualified.”
Third year carpentry apprentices Ethan Sutherland and Karl Van Rigssen also recommended a career in construction.
Tallebudgera’s Mr Sutherland, 20, said carpentry suited a “hands-on sort of person”.
“It’s definitely a good trade to learn, it teaches you all aspects of building,” he said.
“(I chose it because) I wanted to renovate my own homes and flip them and sell them.”
Mr Van Rigssen, 19, said anyone considering the trade should give it a shot.
“I’ve been there and it can be daunting to start off with,” the Tamborine resident said.
“If you start off with one builder and you don’t enjoy it, don’t quit … you can always give it a crack at another workplace.”
When Lauren Smith lost her job as a GP’s assistant, she did not realise it would be a “blessing in disguise”.
The 36-year-old was given the nudge she needed to find a career she was passionate about.
“We were quite shocked to be stood down but I thought ‘this is a good time to reassess what I want to do’,” she said.
“It seemed horrible and traumatic at the time and not working I was stressed financially, but to come out of it with a new career and be happy in that career is such a blessing.
“I call it a blessing in disguise.”
Smith’s role was mostly focused on administration but also took advantage of her qualification as a registered nurse.
This qualification was also what allowed her to quickly transition into her new position as a clinical care co-ordinator at Whiddon Redhead Residential Care.
“I did a placement at uni in aged care that I really enjoyed so I thought maybe this is the time to dive in and apply,” she said.
“Whiddon had a spot for an RN and I put my application through at 4am and I got a call the next day.
“I hadn’t worked in (aged care) since the placement so I wasn’t sure if they would take me in but I have been welcomed with open arms and offered on-the-job training.
“I am loving my job more and more every day. I feel like it’s a wonderful fit for me.”