As you may already know, Australia’s workforce is in desperate need of skilled professionals. From 2021 to 2022, the country’s skill shortage nearly doubled, according to the National Skills Commission’s 2022 Skills Priority List Key Finding Report. The report revealed that 286 occupations were on Skills Priority List 2022, compared to 153 occupations in 2021. Most of these jobs are expected to remain in extremely high demand in 2023.
Of these roles, many are also projected to grow significantly in the future. On the Skills Priority List, jobs are divided into three job growth categories: soft, moderate and strong. As reported by ABC News, 67 jobs experiencing national shortages are classed in the “strong” job growth category, with the majority of these positions falling into the healthcare, information technology (IT) and mining sectors.
So, what does this mean for international students and new graduates? If you’re studying or looking for work in any of these industries, you could enjoy a range of opportunities and top-tier job security. Below, we explore some of the exciting career prospects available.
What are some of the 67 in-demand, fast-growing occupations?
While this list is not exhaustive*, here are some examples of roles across a few key industries.
*Note: You can find the full list here and narrow your search by using the filters.
Engineering/Mining
- Driller
- Geotechnical Engineer
- Mechanical Engineering Draftsperson
- Mechanical Engineering Technician
- Miner
- Mining Engineer (excluding Petroleum)
- Petroleum Engineer
Healthcare
- Enrolled Nurse
- Nurse Practitioner
- Registered Nurse (across various sectors, including Aged Care, Disability and Rehabilitation, Medical, Mental Health, etc.)
- Veterinary Nurse
IT
- Analyst Programmer
- Cyber Security Analyst
- Cyber Security Architect
- Cyber Security Operations Coordinator
- Developer Programmer
- Software Engineer
- Software Tester
- Web Developer
Where to look for job openings
You can explore the opportunities in these roles across various job search platforms. You can peruse employment marketplaces like SEEK, Indeed and Jora, or government sites like Workforce Australia. Professional social media sites like LinkedIn are also incredibly valuable for finding work.
For more resources, check out our guide on where to look for graduate jobs in Australia.
What does this mean for visa opportunities?
By working in an occupation on the Skills Priority List, you could open more doors to Skilled Migration visas*, such as the Temporary Skill Shortage (subclass 482) visa, the Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) (subclass 491) visa and the Skilled Nominated (subclass 190) visa.
*Important note: While the number of occupations on the Skills Priority List has increased, this does not necessarily mean you are more likely to successfully obtain a visa.
Queensland’s Skilled Migration program
Working in any of these professions could be your ticket to settling in Queensland long-term. In August 2022, the Migration Queensland Skilled Program for 2022-23 opened for both onshore and offshore applicants. This meant that applicants across all skilled occupations were able to submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) through SkillSelect for both the subclass 190 and subclass 491 visas. Under its 2022-23 migration program, Queensland has 4,435 allocations (for the subclass 190, subclass 491 and subclass 188 visas).
More Skilled Migration updates
Learn more about General Skilled Migration and state nomination or read any of our other state-specific articles below for more information on the Skilled Migration Program for 2022-23 in your region:
At TAFE Queensland, you can get the training you need to keep up with Australia’s ever-changing workforce and its skill shortages. With certifications available in a wide range of in-demand industries – including healthcare, business and IT, and education – it’s the perfect place to gain the knowledge and skills required to thrive in your career. Learn more about training at TAFE Queensland today.
