Which Occupations Will Boom by 2023? – Make a Wise Career Decision and Benefit
The word ‘jobs’ was trending in 2020 when hundreds of thousands of Australians were stood down at the beginning of the pandemic. With JobKeeper and an improving economy, the employment rebound was 5.3% between May and October.
In 2021 ‘jobs’ is trending for more positive reasons. There are predictions of worker shortages in several industries over the next few years – welcome news for high school leavers contemplating their study or career prospects.
Occupations Tipped to Boom
The Department of Employment has listed four industries predicted to boom by 2023.
- Health Care and Social Assistance
It’s estimated that 250,300 more jobs will be created in the healthcare industry by 2023. COVID-19 has placed a spotlight on the healthcare industry and its dedicated employees but the ageing population will place a strain on hospitals, GP clinics and aged care facilities over the next decade or two.
- Construction
The Department of Employment estimates another 118,800 construction jobs will be created by 2023. The federal and state government grants for new home builds and renovations will create some demand. But many more jobs will come from public works as the federal, state and local governments bring forward large projects to help stimulate the economy as it recovers from the pandemic.
In 2019, the industry employed 1.15 million people in construction (9.0% of Australian workers) so the Department estimates the industry will increase by 10%. A Hays Job Report lists the most in demand construction jobs as contract administrators (civil and commercial), site managers (civil and commercial), project managers (civil), project engineers (civil), and estimators (commercial).
- Education and Training
The education and training sector is expected to grow by 113,000 more jobs by 2023, an increase of 11.2%. While there are fewer international university students studying in Australia now, the market should recover over the next few years. But much of the increase is because of the growth in the school-aged population. The baby boomer generation now has grandchildren who are primary and early high school aged.
- Professional, Scientific and Technical Services
The Federal Government’s university course cost changes announced in 2020 will help fill the additional 106,600 jobs required by 2023. Fee reductions for STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics) courses and increases for arts and law courses come into effect in 2021. The Professional, Scientific and Technical Services category includes cyber security experts, data scientists, accountants, IT and business analysts as some in demand roles.
Impact of COVID-19 on Careers
The National Skills Commission completed a report on The Shape of Australia’s Post COVID-19 Workforce to analyse how the pandemic has impacted on occupations now and in the future. Predictions about the job market made in 2019 could be vastly different after lockdowns and border closures took their toll on the economy. The report found industries with occupations that are resilient to the impacts of COVID-19 include:
- Health care and social service assistance
- Mining
- Education and training
- Transport, postal and warehousing
- Construction
- Administrative and support services
Occupation resilience is something to consider for young career seekers who think another pandemic could occur during their working lives.
Need Help Choosing your Career?
Growth in industries is only one consideration when deciding on a career path. It doesn’t matter how many jobs are available in the industry if it isn’t a career that matches your interest or personality type. You’re far less likely to enjoy the job and chances are you’ll make a career change.
Career Voyage is career software that helps with your career making process. Administered by career practitioners, Career Voyage helps students aged from 15 years to identify suitable job roles and make confident career planning decisions.
If you would like to know more about Career Voyage, call (08) 9440 5333 or contact us online.