The most in demand jobs of 2018 and beyond
Deciding to change your career path can be daunting. You may have been working in the same industry or role for years. You’ve grown comfortable there, and you know exactly what’s expected of you. You’re secure. But security today does not equate to being in-demand tomorrow. And with the average person spending only 3.3 years in their job, it pays to keep up-to-date on what future employers will be looking for.
No Crystal Ball
A lot of people hold themselves back from exploring new horizons from fear based in part on the political and financial climate. To take a risk in a new career means the possibility of destabilizing a steady income. Bearing this in mind, when contemplating a new career, you can have more confidence in your decision by applying a strategy that consists of comparing industries and professions that are experiencing growth, and will likely have a pretty solid and growing demand for new workers. Does that sound complicated?
We’ve done the hard work for you
That’s right, articles like this exist because really, nobody has time for that. It can be very complicated and often is it confusing on knowing where to look. A strategy we employed is by comparing reports from an online employment agency that outlines which industries have the largest number of ‘new job’ ads online. We then compared this information against the Australian Government Department of Employment’s Employment Projections for the Five Years to May 2022, which is a massive collection of projections encompassing industries, occupations and skill level projections, giving the projected growth or decline in those fields for the next 5 years. By comparing these two large sets of data, we have been able to compile our own list of in-demand jobs for right now, and more importantly, in the future.
Aged and disability care
Up first, projected to experience a whopping 47.3% increased demand in the next 5 years, aged and disability care is going to be a booming industry. The community services sector is a highly rewarding industry to work in, providing general household assistance, emotional support, care and companionship for aged and disabled persons in their own homes. Other good news is that an easily obtainable Certificate II or III is usually what is needed to work in this job, with around three in five workers having a Vocational Education and Training (VET) qualification. Experience or on-the-job training is also sometimes needed in addition to a qualification.
Personal carers and assistants
A close second, with a projected 32.4% growth to 2022, personal carers and assistants provide more individualised care. You may have one or several clients who you provide the support they need to live their best and most fulfilled life. One example of this type of role is working in respite care. A respite carer takes over the care of a patient, as needed, on behalf of their primary carer; a primary carer might be a spouse or another family member who undertakes most of the caring duties of their loved one. To learn more about this type of career check out this interview.
Personal care consultants
A personal care consultant is a title that refers to a broad range of job roles. They might be, amongst other things, a Weight Loss Consultant, a Natural Remedy Consultant or a Herbalist. This area of work is predicted to grow by 28.6% over the next 5 years. Further education is a must to be considered for a role in this line of work, and thankfully Upskilled offers a range of relevant courses if this career path sparks your interest. Whether it’s nutrition, naturopathy or Western herbal medicine that you’re passionate about, explore our specialised Bachelor of Health Sciences today.
Professional, Scientific and Technical Services, including Information Technology/ICT
Professional, Scientific and Technical Services are expected to have the second largest increase of any industry. One of the top growing roles are ICT Support and Test Engineers, who are projected to experience 27.8% employment growth over the next five years. However, people seeking roles in this industry will be expected to be qualified and vendor certified. There are a multitude of pathways to any role, and taking supplemental courses in the field you would like to enter is one way of achieving your goal. For instance, an Advanced Diploma of Network Security (ICT60215) allows you to not only come away with a Nationally Recognised Qualification, but you'll also be ready to sit exams and become certified with leading vendors.
Education Aides
Studying to be a teacher isn’t the only way to work in education. If you like young people, but you don’t want all the responsibilities and years of schooling required to become a schoolteacher, you might love being an education aid. A teaching assistant or an early childhood educator has a fun and dynamic work day, enriched by the class they are helping to learn and grow. You can read more about a career in this industry, and your options here.
Conference and Event Organisers
Are you a people person? Then event management might be the perfect sector for you, and demand for people like you is expected to increase by 21.5%. Our Diploma of Event Management (SIT50316) is the perfect place to get started in the industry. Or, if you’re interested in being eligible for more responsibility, working on larger projects, our Bachelor of Business (Events Management) (081293M) covers the whole range of events management, marketing and business practice principles. Love to travel, or meet travelers? Another avenue into this industry would be to consider studying tourism, an industry that often intersects with the events sector.
Honourable mentions
- Audiologists and Speech Therapists – a specialist therapy role that is closely tied to counselling and healthcare, has a very strong future ahead with a 32.6% projected growth rate.
- Beauty therapists - expected to grow a whopping 28.6% over five years. It is a great idea if you are already studying or working in the industry to consider your future in the vocation by opening or managing a salon. Having the practical salon management skills to make the transfer from a practitioner to a successful manager is something that should be considered before making the move.
- Social and welfare professionals – this high growth industry (24.7%) covers several areas ranging from social workers and welfare support workers. This is closely followed by community and personal service workers.
- Other Information and Organisation Professionals – this is a broad title but very interesting none-the-less, with a 28.5% growth expected by 2022. Job titles in this collection includes liaison officers, electorate officers, patents examiners and migration agents. While you might be thinking those sound like niche roles, you may want to consider that many governmental sectors, or government funded sectors, need a lot of people to fill roles that manage and facilitate communication between different government, community groups and organisations. If you are interested in roles like these, you need to have the skills to be able to lead and carry out projects. See our helpful industry profile for leadership and project management if a career in this area interests you.
This is just a small sample of the type of jobs experiencing or projected to experience, a high demand for workers. It is exciting because it means there’s a whole range of opportunities out there, and if you ready yourself to enter these fields, you will have a strong likelihood of securing and keeping your role, and confidence knowing that your skills are in demand. If you’ve been feeling frustrated by your current job’s prospects, perhaps using these projections will inspire you today to consider making a switch to a more secure and exciting role for your future.
If you're not yet ready to hit the job market, consider brushing up on your skills. Upskilled offers around 100 online courses in leadership, marketing, business, HR and so much more. All are available in a flexible format. Search around 100 online courses here.
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