5 occupations in high demand in Australia
Demand for certain skills in Australia is so high that some lucky professionals have ‘future-proof’ careers. We look at 5 such occupation groups that applicants are using as a pathway to Australian permanent residence, and ultimately citizenship.
The Australian Skilled Migration program is designed to attract individuals that possess skills that are currently in demand.
Teachers
Teachers make one of the most valuable contributions to society. It’s common knowledge that there is a shortage of teachers in certain subject areas (like maths, science, and technology) in South Africa, and Australia is no different.
When breaking down demand for this occupation in Australia, it’s worth noting that Secondary School teachers are the number one occupation sub-type Australia is looking for. The Department of Immigration allocated 8,032 spots for secondary school teachers in the current year.
Early Childhood (Pre-primary) and Special Needs teachers are next up in terms of demand, with 1,822 and 1,126 available spots allocated for each occupation sub-type respectively.
Unfortunately demand for Primary School teachers is low, and this occupation sub-type is currently not on the skilled occupation list.
Aspiring applicants are often surprised to learn that post-qualification work experience in teaching isn’t actually a prerequisite for eligibility, but it can help in securing the points required.
Engineers
There has been strong demand for Engineers in recent years – largely in the industries of civil infrastructure, manufacturing, mining, and defence.
According to the university of NSW, Australia’s demand for engineers far exceeds its supply of graduates. The country imports more than double the number of Engineers who graduate from Australian universities each year, and has done so for more than a decade.
Notwithstanding the above, one area in which demand for engineers has since declined is in the mining industry. Given the fact that resource exploration activities have been curtailed, and miners are under pressure following the drop in commodity prices – demand for mining engineers has declined. In response, the Department of Immigration removed mining engineers from the skilled occupation list from 1 July 2016.
On the opposite end of the scale, major infrastructure projects across Australia have boosted demand for this type of engineering professional. Leading the pack in terms of spots available are civil, structural, geotechnical, and transport engineers – with 2,174 spots allocated for the 2016/17 year by the Department of Immigration.
Civil Engineers are in demand across all Australian states – both in urban and regional areas. The average civil engineer is bachelor degree qualified, and most are employed in the states of NSW, Queensland, and Victoria.
Still in demand, but with fewer spots available are – aeronautical, agricultural, biomedical, environmental, electrical, chemical, electronics, industrial, materials, mechanical and plant engineers.
Construction Managers
With a property market boom across most Australian states over the past few years – large infrastructure projects, commercial developments and high rise residential projects are still driving strong demand for construction professionals across all disciplines.
Master Builders Australia recently stated that demand for managers and workers in construction will “significantly exceed domestic supply over the medium-to-long-term”.
The Department of Immigration has allocated 5,289 spots for construction managers for the 2016/17 year, which is evidence of the demand for these skills.
Construction Manager earnings are currently well above the average earnings rate in Australia. Current demand is strongest in NSW, where high-rise residential and commercial experience is the most sought after.
Although many aspiring migrants have skills in construction management, to be eligible to apply under this occupation requires that you have a bachelor degree with a highly relevant field of study (i.e. construction/civil engineering) and that you possess highly relevant post qualification experience.
IT professionals
According to submissions from skills assessors to the Department of Immigration, there is expected demand for a further 100,000 ICT professionals in Australia over the next six years. This follows a significant decline in graduates with ICT qualifications since the early 2000s.
Australia needs a workforce equipped with the skills necessary to fuel digitally-driven economic growth – which is why graduates (especially those with post-grad qualifications) are in high demand.
Computer network and systems engineers, ICT business analysts, system analysts, software engineers, and analyst and developer programmers are all on the skilled occupation list. Software and applications programmers lead the pack in terms of demand, with 5,662 available spots allocated by the Department of Immigration in the 2016/17 year.
In terms of employment by state, over 60% of IT professionals in Australia are based in NSW and Victoria, with the central business districts of Sydney and Melbourne attracting most employees.
Over 60% of the employees in the industry have a bachelor degree or above, and earn income well above the national average.
Tradespeople
‘Tradies’, as they are commonly known in Australia, form a vital part of infrastructure growth. Much like civil engineers and construction managers, there are currently widespread shortages of tradespeople in the construction industry across Australia.
Electricians have been identified as an area with a large skills deficiency, and the Department of Immigration has allocated 9,345 available spots for this trade in the 2016/17 year. According to ‘Master Electricians Australia’, electricians are listed in the top 10 occupations expected to provide the largest number of new jobs in Australia over the next 5 years.
Metal fitters and machinists, carpenters, motor mechanics, and plumbers are also in high demand, with spots allocated by the Department of Immigration in 2016/17 in excess of 5,000 for each of these trades.
Although many aspiring migrants might have experience in a trade, to be eligible to apply under most trade occupations will generally require that you have a trade qualification, and five years of experience in your trade (which includes time spent in training).
But what about Accountants and Hairdressers?
For many years, Australia has been known to open the doors to Accountants and Hairdressers. Unfortunately, this is no longer the case.
It’s fair to say that there is still a demand for accountants, and the occupation still finds itself on the skilled occupation list. However, over the past two years there has been debate about its removal – and the number of spots allocated by the Department of Immigration was cut by 50% in the 2015/16 year.
Since then, there has been strong competition for available spots, with applicants currently requiring more than the minimum 60 points in order to progress their application.
It’s here that applicants with higher points (and the right migration advice) have been able to advance their applications faster, while those with lower points waiting many months in a queue without receiving an invitation to apply.
As far as hairdressers are concerned, their occupation has been removed from the skilled occupation list altogether. While there was once high demand, opportunities and earnings potential is down relative to prior years.
These two occupations are both good examples of how trends can change, and eligibility for skilled migration now should not necessarily give an aspiring migrant comfort that they can put the decision off for a few years and assume they will qualify in future.
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