Did you know that Australia is currently facing “staggering” skills shortages. According to a new National Skills Commission report, data shows occupation shortages doubled in 2022 as the labour market tightened. The number of occupations struggling to fill positions has jumped from 153 to 286 over the last 12 months. This means that nearly a third of all Australian sectors are confronting serious worker shortfalls.
Most of the data comes from Labour Market Insights, a federal government website created under the National Skills Commission that compiles information about the Australian job market. It is a detailed report, and some information is generalised and comes from the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
Check the Report:
2022 Skills Priority List Key Findings Report | National Skills Commission. Keep this in mind when trawling through job ads, because individual job listings may differ from employer to employer.
The Skills Priority List shows registered nurses and veterinary nurses, software engineers, civil engineers, mining, beauty services, social, youth and childcare workers, mechanics and construction management are in most demand. Other in demand areas include meat processing, early childhood teachers, web developers and now cyber security professionals.
Of the 20 largest employing occupations, more than half face serious labour shortages. Occupations with the largest number of vacancies included technicians, machinery operators and labourers, as well as personal service workers. In addition, there are now shortages of qualified swimming instructors!
Demand for the health professional cohort increased by nearly 50% in 2022, the largest increase of any sub-employment group. The result appears mostly driven by the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and more importantly, over 70% of healthcare workers experienced moderate to severe burnout. The National Skills Commission predicts things could get worse. As the country’s population ages, there will be higher demand for health professionals. For 2023 it is predicted that scientific, health care and education, will be Australia’s fastest-growing industries.
If you are seriously thinking about career pivot, perhaps these in-demand areas may be something to research further. However, it is recommended that you seek professional assistance. Also consider what work is meaningful to you, what is realistic, what are your values, top strengths and what gets you most excited about a career.
Choose what’s right for you and, if you can align that with what the market needs, then that’s the sweet spot. If COVID taught us anything, disruption and change will happen, and will continue for a bit longer. Skill shortages in 2023 could be completely different in five years’ time, so remember to make a wise choice!