Ever wondered about Australia’s most in-demand professions? Well, thanks to data from the National Skills Commission 2022 Key Findings Report, you no longer have to wonder! In its new report, the Commission revealed that Australia is currently facing a skills shortage – one that has nearly doubled between 2021 and 2022. With an abundance of vacancies, the number of job advertisements across the country has spiked by roughly 42 per cent.
Much of this shortage is taking place in regional Australia. In April 2022, the Regional Australia Institute reported 84,600 regional job vacancies, up nearly 25 per cent from April 2021. In light of these vacancies, you might be wondering: what are some of the most in-demand jobs in regional Australia?
What is regional Australia?
The Australian Government defines regional Australia as anywhere outside of Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. So, a huge proportion of the country is classified as ‘regional’. However, this doesn’t mean the rest of the country is made up of only small, rural towns.
Community-rich and unique regional towns, such as Bathurst, Orange and Albury-Wodonga are considered ‘Regional centres and other regional areas‘, while vibrant, buzzing capital cities and areas like Perth, Adelaide, Hobart, and the Gold Coast are classified as ‘Cities and Major Regional Centres’. Offering culture and lifestyle to rival the major cities, there are also many benefits of living in a regional area.
Read more: What is it Like Studying in Regional Australia?
What are the most in-demand jobs in regional Australia?
As regional areas grow and develop, they are now home to many well-paid, exciting employment opportunities that once would have only been offered in the major cities. Here are seven in-demand industries in regional Australia and some examples of professions within them:
Healthcare
Healthcare is an incredibly diverse industry with great employment opportunities. In fact, Health Care and Social Assistance is the largest employing industry in Australia, with approximately 14.8 per cent of workers holding jobs in this field. The regional job growth in this sector has been particularly impressive, coming in at a 33 per cent growth rate in 2021.
On the Priority Migration Skilled Occupation List 2022 (PMSOL), professions like registered nurse, aged and disabled carer, and child carer were all listed in the top 10 most in-demand jobs in Australia.
Current in-demand roles: Registered nurses, aged and disabled carers, child carers, medical receptionists, general practitioners and resident medical officers.
Construction & Engineering
In the Australian Government’s Budget 2022-23, the country has committed to “build Australia and strengthen [its] regions”, a multifaceted plan that includes a great deal of infrastructure and development. One of the core elements of this plan is the Regional Accelerator Program, a $2-billion project that will grow Australia’s regional communities in a variety of ways, including a number of building projects.
As a result, it’s not surprising to learn that construction and engineering jobs are in high demand. For example, construction managers were listed as the #4 most in-demand job on the Skilled Priority List 2022.
Current in-demand roles: Construction managers, metal fitters and machinists, civil engineers, mining engineers.
Agriculture
Agriculture is the science of cultivating plants and livestock. Australia is a huge country with a booming agricultural sector; in fact, more than half of Australia’s land use goes towards agricultural activities. The majority of agricultural work takes place in regional Australia, as you can see from the figure below.
Source: Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment
Current in-demand roles: Farmhands, managers, agricultural scientists and agricultural consultants.
Education
In early 2022, it was reported that Australia’s regional teacher shortage was the worst it had been in over 20 years. Educators are in such high demand, particularly in regional Australia, that many state governments even offer annual financial incentives for full-time teachers to relocate to rural areas.
For example, in NSW, you may be able to benefit from the Teacher Supply Strategy, which includes financial incentives such as the Rural Teacher Incentive (up to $30,000), the Retention Bonus (up to $5,000 per year) and the Experienced Teacher Bonus (up to $10,000 per year).
Current in-demand roles: Early childhood (pre-primary school) teachers, primary teachers, middle school teachers, secondary school teachers and special needs teachers (e.g. teachers of the hearing impaired, teachers of the sight impaired).
Accounting
Accounting is a necessary part of life for businesses, charities, schools, governments, private citizens, and more. With a predicted strong future growth of accounting jobs in Australia, this career path will allow you to constantly learn and upskill so you will always be growing professionally.
Current in-demand roles: Accountants, management accountants, taxation accountants, external auditors and internal auditors.
What are my post-study work rights?
If you’ve studied at an Australian university as an international student, the Temporary Graduate (subclass 485) visa allows you to live, study, and work in Australia after you have finished your studies.
This visa has three streams – the Graduate Work stream, the Post-Study Work stream, and the Second Post-Study Work stream.
From 1 July 2022 to 30 June 2023, those applying for the Graduate Work stream don’t need to hold an occupation from the skilled occupation list (SOL) or get a skills assessment. However, it’s expected that these requirements will come back into effect as of 1 July 2023. This change does not apply to the Post-Study Work stream.
Only international students who have graduated with a degree from a regional Australian institution are eligible for a second Post-Study Work stream visa. This means that after you have finished studying in regional Australia, you may be able to work in Australia for up to seven years (depending on your circumstances and eligibility).
Learn more about the Temporary Graduate (subclass 485) visa and how to apply via the Department of Home Affairs.
