Predicting the future is rife with complexity.
Could a robot do your job?
Maybe not yet, but the future of work will be vastly different than the present.
Whilst we might not be in the domain of flying cars and robot butlers, a recent study by the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) uncovered that employment in Australia is likely to see an increase in higher-skilled jobs within the labour market. Additionally, Australia is seeing strong demand for service-based roles across industries.
So what does this mean for Australian job seekers in 2019?
We take a look at some of the predicted changes in the jobs market and what the discerning job seeker can do to stay on top of the resume pile.
There are excellent entry-level prospects for Australian job seekers of the future.
Thanks to an ageing population, we can predict a boom in health, home-care and child care jobs that require vocational training and qualifications. We can also expect growth in nursing, midwifery and residential care thanks to the implementation of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).
In addition to personal care workers, hospitality workers are predicted to be another boom area for those looking to work in the service industry.
“Up-skilling is something that job seekers should be focusing on in the future,” shared Emma Crichton, Executive Director - Skills at PeoplePlus.
“Not only will having additional qualifications give job seekers an advantage when applying for jobs, but they also provide transferrable skills if and when a worker decides to change industries.
“This is something we focus on in our vocational training – we're constantly thinking of ways to give our trainees a competitive edge,” Emma said.
In the professional landscape, Australian job seekers can expect to see a rise in administrative work such as accounting and secretarial work due to an increase in industries that require those roles.
Whilst technical roles will continue to develop, honing in on your “soft skills” will prove helpful as many human skills can’t be replicated by technology.
Anticipating the sort of interpersonal skills your future employer may need can go a long way to boosting your employability – this includes communication skills, time management, multitasking, having a positive attitude and working well in a team.
“Job seekers who are willing to learn from constructive criticism and take feedback into consideration are incredibly valuable to employers – it shows you’re willing to learn and grow. In addition to that, it will help you stand out in the jobs market when you’re looking to move on,” shared PeoplePlus Skills Director Emma Crichton.
Furthermore, keeping abreast of emerging trends in your industry is a great way to fill in any knowledge gaps you may have – this could be as simple as reading industry magazines, following competitors online, attending networking sessions and watching online seminars.
According to the report into the future of employment services by the Department of Jobs and Small Business, some of the jobs that are tipped to have the most growth within the next five years include software programmers, education aides and child care workers.
Over 90% of new jobs over the next five years will require training or education beyond school. Having said that, many jobs in these growth areas often have pathways to management and can have strong management outcomes with little formal training.
“A lot of managerial roles in child care, hospitality and health and community care come from employees who have learned and trained on-the-job,” PeoplePlus’ Emma Crichton said.
“Once job seekers and trainees have experience and an understanding of working in a certain industry, it's important to take the time to develop their leadership skills formally and informally,” Emma said.
In a practical sense, this could mean participating in organisational training programs, seeking out mentorship or taking on leadership-style duties where possible.
“Not only will this improve the job seeker’s future prospects, but it will also help achieve business goals, which is often a priority for many organisations,” Emma said.
If you’re interested in upskilling and boosting your career prospects, contact PeoplePlus Australia today on 1800 773 338 or email to contactus@peopleplusaustralia.com.au