Put simply, some skills are in high demand in South Australia. The state’s mining and defence industries, for instance, are growing at a tremendous rate, with big projects creating jobs for people with the right skills.
Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM)
Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) skills will undoubtedly make you attractive to South Australian employers – now and in the future. STEM skills are essential in many jobs. For example, nurses, medical professionals, engineers, surveyors, builders, ICT professionals and others all need STEM skills.
The fact is there are already shortages of workers among certain industry sectors in the state, and they need people with STEM skills, including:
- agricultural and forestry scientists
- architectural, building and surveying technicians
- chemists and food and wine scientists
- database and systems administrators
- electrical engineers
- electricians
- environmental scientists
- ICT business and systems analysts
- metal casting, forging and finishing trade workers
- mining engineers
- software and applications programmers
- telecommunications trades workers
- toolmakers and engineering patternmakers
Look out for STEM courses and a potential pathway into a secure and well-paid job.
Shape your future
Employment opportunities occur across all industries due to growth, the need to replace workers who retire or change jobs, or a combination of both.
Strong employment
The following areas expected to experience the strongest employment opportunities over the next five years.
Due to its overall size, the Business & Financial Services sector is expected to have numerous opportunities. As the world starts to recover from the effects of the global financial crisis, this will translate in to job opportunities. Jobs in this sector include:
- professionals – such as accountants, human resource and legal professionals
- business managers
- support staff - such as administration staff and building maintenance staff.
The Health & Community Services sector is expected to provide strong employment opportunities over the next five years. In addition to the large number of ‘Baby-Boomers’ ready to retire, South Australians (and Australians) are living longer due to advances in medicine and lifestyle changes. There is also an increased need to get more South Australians into work – resulting in an increasing demand for child care. To maintain our quality of life and health, we require:
- medical professionals – such as doctors, specialists, surgeons, and nurses
- community service professionals – such as psychologists, psychiatrists, and social professionals
- child care professionals.
The Wholesale, Retail & Personal Services sector is expected to have strong employment over the next five years. It employs many people and employment conditions are often flexible. Jobs in this area include:
- Sales staff and managers
- Personal care professionals – such as hairdressers and beauty therapists.
The Building & Construction sector is expected to have strong employment opportunities over the next five years. Although conditions are currently soft, the sector is cyclical. With current government initiatives (such as the first home owners grant, civil construction projects and green building initiatives), and falling interest rates, mine construction and older workers retiring, there will be job opportunities. Jobs in this sector include:
- building professionals – such as architects, surveyors, civil engineers and related paraprofessionals
- civil machinery operators – such as earth moving plant operators and crane operators
- building tradespeople – such as carpenters, plumbers, concreters and painters
Growing industry areas
The Electrotechnology sector is expected to grow strongly over the next five year as there are many major projects scheduled to start, and new ‘green’ technologies are being introduced. The government has invested in upgrades to the electricity grid, the National Broadband Network, numerous defence projects, the electrification of the rail network. Jobs in this sector include:
- electrical & electronic engineers and related paraprofessionals
- ICT specialists
- electrical tradespeople.
The Mining sector is expected to experience strong growth over the next five years. There are currently 18 approved or major mines in operation or under construction, including the massive Olympic Dam expansion – set to be the world’s largest open pit mine. Mining operations need workers at all stages of production – from truck drivers to boiler makers to geoscientists to mine managers. Jobs in this sector include:
- geologists & geophysicists - to find the best mining sites
- mining engineers
- construction workers – to build the mines, roads, and support buildings for the mines
- drillers, miners and shot firers
The Engineering sector is expected to experience strong growth over the next five years due to South Australia’s push towards further developing advanced manufacturing capabilities and defence projects commissioned by the Australian Government – most notably the construction of the new Air Warfare Destroyers. Jobs in this sector include:
- engineering professionals – such as mechanical, chemical, naval and environmental engineers
- engineering trades workers – such as welders, metal trades workers, ship builders.
South Australia is home to a number of key Defence projects (including the Air Warfare Destroyer program), with some $10bn in contracts secured in 2011. The Defence Science and Technology Organisation at Edinburgh is the largest defence electronics, research and development centre in the Southern Hemisphere.
Defence needs scientists, engineers and specialists researching areas such as information technology, radar, sonar and electronic warfare. Work in Adelaide on Australia’s next generation of submarines will need teams of highly skilled workers.
Independent forecasts indicate Clean or green technology industries will grow by 17% over the course of the next 10 years. Tonsley Park Redevelopment is currently being developed as the Sustainable Industries Education Centre. It will focus on new green building and construction technologies in training plumbers, bricklayers, designers and carpenters.
Reserve a job for yourself in the future and get skilled in one of the following emerging technologies:
- Biotechnology – use of biological discoveries for the development of industrial processes and the production of useful organisms and their products in industries such as agriculture, pharmaceuticals, waste management and in the creation of renewable energy sources
- Environmental management and materials technology – investigation of chemical properties in metals, ceramics, polymers and other materials to determine environmental impact of their use in commercial and engineering applications
- Information and communications technology – combining computers with telephone and internet technologies
- Microelectronics – the development and use of very small circuits for products such as mobile phones and computers
- Nanotechnology – building or control over materials and devices at micro level of atoms and molecules for application in manufacturing, electronics, pharmaceutics, medicine, textiles, fibres, aeronautics, space exploration, energy and the environment
For detailed information on any of these sectors and the sort of skills they require, see search for careers and industries.