Australia’s most in-demand jobs revealed ahead of National Skills Week

Most of the nation’s most in-demand occupations require only vocational training, sparking calls for more people to consider choosing TAFE over uni.

Australia’s most in-demand workers are likely to have a TAFE qualification rather than a university degree, with calls for more people to enrol in vocational training to ease crippling skills shortages.

Sixty per cent of total employment growth in the past year has been in occupations that require a vocational qualification, with just 36 per cent of that growth recorded in university-qualified professions, the latest Jobs and Skills Australia data shows.

While Australia’s most in-demand job – registered nursing – does require a degree, vocational qualifications allow graduates to start earning as an enrolled nurse while completing tertiary studies to progress further, says National Skills Week chairman Brian Wexham.

Most of the remaining top 10 in-demand occupations – barring general medical practitioners – need only vocational training, Wexham says.

“People would be surprised about the width and the breadth and the diversity of vocational training and what it has to offer,’’ he says.

“There’s so many amazing, wonderful opportunities. It doesn’t matter whether you are talking digital skills, defence, hospitality or health care – there are so many (vocational) career pathways and we need to encourage more people to look at what’s out there.’’

Many of Australia’s most in-demand jobs need only vocational training.

National Skills Week kicks off on Monday, with Wexham keen to show that vocational training is key to filling skills gaps.

While trade apprenticeships have long been the cornerstone of the vocational sector, he says there is a wide range of training linked to other roles experiencing high worker shortages.

“Cyber security is one of the highest ranking priorities for companies at the moment but a lot of people wouldn’t know that you can do cyber security at TAFE,’’ he says.

“And that’s one of the long standing difficulties we have – that TAFE is often only associated with the trades, rather than with all these other occupations.’’

Gardeners are among the nation’s most in-demand workers, with many getting their start with just a certificate-level qualification, says Australian Garden Council chairman Graham Ross.

“Local councils have many full-time careers in garden maintenance … (and) garden centres are desperate across Australia for part-time and full-time staff,’’ he says.

“Landscape contractors – the builders of gardens – and garden designers also have vacancies for hands-on lovers of outdoor practical work and those who are more creative, artistic indoor souls.

“Gardening is a global career. It’s a huge, multibillion-dollar industry booming under the radar across Australia.’’

Brick and Block Careers chief executive officer Michael Morrissey is urging those seeking an apprenticeship to consider non-traditional trades, such as bricklaying.

He says once qualified, bricklayers are among the highest paid tradies, earning about $113,000 a year.

“The money is pretty good – it’s one of the most lucrative (trade) businesses to get into and there’s huge demand,’’ Morrissey says.

Professionals ‘scrambling’ to get ready for jobs of the future

Aeronautical engineer Matus Cvengros.

As flying cars come closer to reality, a new breed of worker is learning the skills needed for the future.

RMIT Online this month launched a flying car and autonomous flight engineer course, designed to teach the concepts required to “design and develop robots that fly’’.

“It’s fair to say flying cars are very quickly moving out of the figment of your imagination and into the new world,’’ RMIT Online chief executive officer Nic Cola says.

“We need to make sure people are skilled (to work with flying cars) and that there’s an education path for them.

“Jobs that literally didn’t exist 10 years ago are quickly becoming highly sought after, leaving professionals scrambling to update their skill set.

More than 200 companies around the globe are investing in the development of flying cars, with Australian start-up Pegasus set to begin scale production next year.

NSW-based AMSL Aero expects to start commercial production of its electric aircraft, the Vertiia, in 2026.

Aeronautical engineer Matus Cvengros, who recently started with AMSL Aero after completing postgraduate qualifications in aerospace engineering, believes the future looks promising for those wanting to work with flying cars.

“We are at the very beginning of a revolution in personal aviation,’’ he says.

“Those who will be skilled to work on such technology will find many exciting opportunities, both in aerospace and elsewhere.’’

The RMIT Online course is part of a suite of new offerings, including deep learning, ethical hacker and ethical AI.

Top 20 in-demand occupations

1. Registered nurses

2. Software and applications programmers

3. Aged and disabled carers

4. Child careers

5. Construction managers

6. Motor mechanics

7. Retail managers

8. Chefs

9. Generalist medical practitioners

10. Metal fitters and machinists

11. ICT business and systems analysts

12. Civil engineering professionals

13. Electricians

14. Early childhood (pre-primary school) teachers

15. Contract program and project administrators

16. Advertising and marketing professionals

17. Physiotherapists

18. Gardeners

19. Mining engineers

20. Database and systems administrators and ICT security specialists

Source: Jobs and Skills Australia

Originally published as Australia’s most in-demand jobs revealed ahead of National Skills Week