{"id":46944,"date":"2019-02-20T12:11:50","date_gmt":"2019-02-20T20:11:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/world.edu\/?p=46944"},"modified":"2019-02-20T12:11:50","modified_gmt":"2019-02-20T20:11:50","slug":"choosing-a-career-these-jobs-wont-go-out-of-style","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/world.edu\/choosing-a-career-these-jobs-wont-go-out-of-style\/","title":{"rendered":"Choosing a career? These jobs won\u2019t go out of style"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\nSensationalist\u00a0claims<\/a>\u00a0that 40% of jobs in Australia won\u2019t exist in the future are unhelpful for young Australians thinking about entering the workforce. The reality is some jobs will no longer exist, new jobs will be created and most jobs will undergo some form of transformation. The skills we need for work are changing, but young Australians can plan for these changes.<\/p>\n

Fears of automation and artificial intelligence (AI) wiping out future work are well founded \u2013 new technology\u00a0is<\/em>\u00a0changing the way we work. But as the current workforce grows up alongside an ageing population,\u00a0future generations<\/a>\u00a0will have many job opportunities, if they acquire the right skills.<\/p>\n

Jobs of the future<\/strong><\/h4>\n

The prospect of having a single occupation for life is becoming increasingly unlikely. Today\u2019s 15 year-olds are likely to have\u00a017 changes in employers<\/a>\u00a0across five different careers. And for\u00a0three in five<\/a>\u00a0young Australians with a post-school qualification (such as a degree or vocational qualification), less than half are able to secure more than 35 hours of work per week.<\/p>\n

When considering which career path to follow, young Australians should be mindful that the jobs at risk are those which have high levels of routine, and repeatable and predictable processes requiring precision. These include administrative and clerical jobs, such as working as a receptionist or data entry clerk. Automation or AI will replace these jobs, if it hasn\u2019t already.<\/p>\n

Non-routine jobs which need human problem-solving, creativity, adaptability, flexibility, physical dexterity, and communication skills will be the jobs of the future. So will jobs requiring physical proximity and interpersonal skills. Examples include engineering, design, construction, education, health services and care work.<\/p>\n

The economy is undergoing an industry restructuring in response to the\u00a0Fourth Industrial Revolution<\/a>. This is the name given to a combination of technological mega-trends happening all at the same time (for example, the internet of things, artificial intelligence, automation and robotics, digital disruption and so on). Significant economic, demographic and social shifts are happening at the same time.<\/p>\n

As this change happens, the prospect of polarisation of the workforce is a\u00a0looming concern<\/a>\u00a0for young people. \u201cPolarisation\u201d is the hollowing out of the labour market: a decline in the share of mid-level skilled jobs considered \u201centry level\u201d for young Australians. This will mean reduced opportunities for young people to enter the workforce, and limited opportunities for upward career progression from lower-skilled jobs.<\/p>\n

Which industries show growth?<\/strong><\/h4>\n

The Australian economy has shifted from one which produces goods to one which services people. Almost\u00a080%<\/a>\u00a0of the workforce is employed in the services industries.<\/p>\n

The\u00a0Department of Jobs and Small Business<\/a>\u00a0projects that over the five years to May 2023, employment will increase in 17 of the 19 broad industry sectors in Australia. And it will decline in two: agriculture, forestry and fishing; and wholesale trade.<\/p>\n

Almost two-thirds of employment growth is projected to be in four sectors: health care and social assistance; construction; education and training; and professional, scientific and technical services. Jobs will exist for people with the skills to fill those jobs.<\/p>\n

New jobs are projected to be created across a range of occupations. Aged and disabled care, registered nursing, child care, software and applications programming, and waiting are the top five areas of growth.<\/p>\n

But employment in five broad occupation groups is also projected to decline: personal assistants and secretaries, office managers and program administrators, machine and stationary plant operators, farmers and farm managers, and clerical and office support workers are likely to be replaced by automation or AI.<\/p>\n

Skills young people can learn now<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Achieving a university degree no longer automatically means a graduate will get immediate and meaningful employment. The youth unemployment rate for graduates is increasing at a greater rate than for those without a tertiary qualification. According to the Foundation for Young Australians, it now takes on average\u00a04.7 years<\/a>\u00a0for a person to transition from full time education to full time employment.<\/p>\n

Research from the\u00a0Foundation for Young Australians<\/a>\u00a0found there are four key factors which can accelerate the transition from education to full time work:<\/p>\n