Top trades where Aussies can get a job ahead of WorldSkills 2022
These are the Australians who are taking their tradie skills to the international stage — and where they can get work right now.
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A career in trades is proving a smart choice for Australians, with job ads soaring and apprenticeship opportunities bouncing back after the pandemic.
Exclusive research from employment marketplace SEEK reveals a 66 per cent increase in trades and services job listings when comparing the past three months to the same period in 2019.
The growth is led by the automotive trades, followed by labourers and electricians.
And it does not seem to be a short-term spike.
SEEK employment analyst Leigh Broderick says pandemic recovery is driving a high demand for workers in some sectors, but it is not necessarily the only factor driving a need for tradies.
“Having a qualification in a trade is always going to stand you in good stead,” he says.
SCROLL DOWN FOR LIST OF TRADES WITH BIGGEST JOB AD GROWTH
There is also good news for school leavers and career changers hoping to get a start in the trade sector, as more employers are taking on apprentices and trainees.
There were almost 187,000 apprenticeship and traineeship commencements in the 12 months to March, according to the latest figures from the National Centre for Vocational Education Research – more than the same period in 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020.
This number included almost 69,000 women – up 16 per cent on 2017 figures.
THE TRADIE OLYMPICS
To help highlight the career opportunities available through vocational education, Australia is preparing to send its best young apprentices and trainees to Shanghai for the “tradie Olympics” in October 2022 – subject to border restrictions.
Like the sporting Olympics, the WorldSkills Competition starts with an opening ceremony, ends with a closing ceremony, and features podiums, medals and national anthems.
But instead of swimming, gymnastics and athletic events, there are 63 competition categories testing skills from carpentry to hairdressing.
At WorldSkills Kazan 2019, in Russia, Team Australia brought home a silver medal in industrial mechanics millwright, and three bronze medals - in car painting, plumbing and heating, and refrigeration and airconditioning.
Our 2022 Skills Squad, from which Team Australia will be chosen, was announced this week.
The members were selected after competing in regional and national WorldSkills competitions, and final “skill offs” will be run for some categories to determine the international team.
Skills Squad member Isabella Turrise hopes to compete in car painting and is preparing for an intense period of training, on top of working and completing her Certificate III in Automotive Refinishing.
“The fact that I would be representing Australia would be pretty cool,” she says.
“I never thought I would be someone to represent a country.
“Mostly, I really want to just open up the minds of young women who think they would be all right or who want to have a go because we are so good at this trade it’s ridiculous, but so many people don’t give it a try.”
Turrise says there are lots of opportunities for tradespeople at the moment.
“It’s a good time to do a trade, now more than ever – especially spray painters,” she says.
“We so-so need spray painters … we need anyone who is keen.”
AUSTRALIA’S 2022 SKILLS SQUAD
Industrial mechanics millwright: Lisiate Hull (SA)
Plumbing and heating: Lachlan Kinter (NSW), Hugh Davey (NSW)
Bricklaying: Jayden Jennings (NSW)
Cabinetmaking: Carly Bird (TAS)
Carpentry: Matthew Duffy (NSW), Brock Perry (QLD)
Jewellery: Charles Farrar (WA)
Hairdressing: Mary Evans (NSW), Anne Russell (NSW)
Beauty therapy: Maddison Williams (NSW)
Fashion technology: Michael Shin (QLD)
Automotive technology: Nicholas McLaren (NSW)
Cooking: Sarah Hunt (QLD), Sabrina Rees (NSW)
Car painting: Isabella Turrise (NSW)
Refrigeration and airconditioning: Ryan Hanns (ACT), Tom Clancy (WA)
IT network systems administration: Liam Spindler (NSW)
Graphic design technology: Kelsey Wade (SA)
Bakery: Rachel Crawford (ACT)
3D digital game art: Thomas Van Breda (VIC)
Cloud computing: Daniella Kurnia Surya (WA)
Cyber security team event: Christopher Fitzsimons and Bujitha Ponsuge (WA), Matt Docktrell and Ben Armstrong (WA)
TOP TRADES BY PERCENTAGE JOB AD GROWTH
September – November, 2021 v. September – November, 2019
SOURCE: SEEK
Butchers up 154 per cent
Building trades 108 per cent
Bakers & pastry chefs 107 per cent
Floristry 99 per cent
Tailors & dressmakers 99 per cent
Labourers 90 per cent
Painters & signwriters 85 per cent
Carpentry & cabinet making 78 per cent
Gardening & landscaping 70 per cent
Plumbers 67 per cent
Locksmiths 58 per cent
Automotive trades 55 per cent
Electricians 49 per cent
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Originally published as Top trades where Aussies can get a job ahead of WorldSkills 2022