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In-demand jobs, free training, and how much you could make: Your guide to a career change
Thinking of upskilling or changing careers? From opportunities to challenges, this is what you should know.
Published 23 August 2023 5:32am
By David Aidone
Source: SBS News
Image: Eesha Katyare and her daughter Myra. Katyare started her career as a dental assistant and now works in IT. (Supplied / Eesha Katyare)
For Eesha Katyare, a career change was to provide the best possible future for her daughter.
Katyare, 26, had been working as a dental assistant for five years and, while she loved her job, she did not believe it provided enough income to support her family.
"My daughter is two years old now; when she was six months old I'd look at her and think, 'she deserves to have a home, she deserves to be happy' and for that, I need to make some changes to my career," Katyare said.
So last year, the Melburnian enrolled at Chisholm TAFE to study a Certificate IV in Information Technology, specialising in programming and database development. Her move to study IT was partly driven by her father working in the industry, and because the COVID-19 pandemic had "proven that we can't really function without technology".
"I think as you grow older you see the potential that's out there and how the new age is all just technology," she said.
Eesha Katyare, her husband Liam, and their daughter Myra. Katyare said Liam was very supportive while she was studying. Source: Supplied / Eesha Katyare
And her advice for those thinking of a career change?
"If you have an opportunity, do not hesitate," she said.
Australia's in-demand jobs
Technology and digital are among the industries recognised as being areas of "national priority" under the that was endorsed by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and state and territory leaders at National Cabinet last year.
The Agreement, which has an objective to provide "critical and emerging industries... with the skilled workers they need", also gives care (including aged care and childcare), hospitality and tourism, construction, agriculture, and sovereign capability this designation. The industries have been prioritised for .
"If you look at all the goals of state and federal governments, so many of them will not be realised without a pipeline of skills," said Skills Minister Brendan O'Connor when launching National Skills Week, which runs from 21-27 August.
"So many of them, whether it's the care economy, transforming the energy sector, and so on."
Australia's 20 most in-demand occupations were most recently set out in .
They range from registered nurses and carers, to chefs and information and communications technology systems analysts.
Average salaries for these occupations range from $55,000 to $380,000, according to data from employment marketplace SEEK.
Average earnings for a full-time, adult worker are $1,838.60 or $95,581,20 a year, according to . For all workers, it is $1,400.20 a week, or $72,810.40 a year.
Australia's in-demand occupations. Source: SBS News / Kenneth Macleod
Australia's most in-demand occupations. Source: SBS News / Kenneth Macleod
Considering a career change or upskilling? Here's what to know
The ABS' most recent , released in June, showed 1.3 million people changed jobs in the year to February.
Of those, a third did so to "obtain a better job or just wanted a change".
People considering a career change or upskilling typically feel dissatisfied in their current job or like they can't progress in their career, according to Viktoriya Fedorova, a senior careers counsellor at Chisholm TAFE.
"It could be a temporary feeling that we all experience from time to time," Fedorova said. "But if it continues week after week, month after month... people often start questioning whether they're doing the right thing."
Fedorova said many of the in-demand occupations would require at minimum an entry-level qualification, including for aged care and early childhood education roles.
"So they are the first steps that will equip those people who are considering a career change with the skills required to get into the industry," she said. "And as their skills and experience develop, they can undertake higher qualifications to further develop their careers".
Katyare said she was on campus four days a week while completing her course. She was on maternity leave from her dental assistant job, but still had to juggle study with family time and a casual job at a supermarket on weekends. She said she used to hit the books after her daughter went to sleep, and was lucky to have a supportive husband.
Pursuing a career change can be challenging when people face competing priorities, Fedorova said.
"People should consider what it is they're trying to achieve and how long they think it will take them," she said.
"A career change is not a day trip in most cases; it's often a journey."
Free ways to upskill
The federal government, in partnership with the states and territories, has provided funding for 180,000 TAFE and vocational educational places this year.
The scheme looks set to continue in 2024, with the federal government currently negotiating with the states and territories. It has pledged $414 million to fund 300,000 additional fee-free places.
The fee-free places cover courses in "national priority" areas, and in some cases, local priority areas determined by the states.
Eligibility criteria differ across the country. In Victoria, for example, you can complete multiple free courses if they fall within a "priority pathway", whereas in Queensland only one will be funded in most cases.
In some areas, fee-free places for this year have already been exhausted.
Employers can help with career changes and upskilling too, Fedorova said, meaning in some cases, completing a course might not be necessary.
"We always say your current employer is one of the first people to talk to," she said.
"You might not need to tell them you are thinking of a career change; you could say you're interested in developing certain skills."
Fedorova said an employer might be able to help an employee develop them. If they can't, they could support a worker with external training.
"They might not have to do a full qualification which could take a while," she said. "It could be training for specific skills, or a short course."
Follow the links for more information about fee-free TAFE schemes in ; in , in ; in ; in , in the , in the ; and in .
