Growth in demand for health, social assistance, and childcare services

Growth in demand for health, social assistance, and childcare services

National Skills Week’s Chairman Brian Wexham says that 250,000 extra health and social assistance workers will be needed by 2025.

The Chairman of National Skills Week says that Australia needs a major jump in the number of people becoming skilled and working in these areas, given our ageing population and growing demand for early childhood education.

“Health care and social assistance is Australia’s largest employer with over 1.8 million workers, which sounds like a high base. With the number of people aged 65 years and over projected to nearly double from 3.8 million in 2017 to more like 6.5 million in 2042, however, it’s clear we will need many more such workers. Medical advances mean the skillset required will also increase.”

Human Services is a rapidly growing group of industries whereby humans are needed to provide care for other humans. The sector has nearly double the projected growth rate of any other industry in the Australian economy and includes areas such as aged care, disability services, early childhood education and care, and veterans’ care.

Jodi Schmidt is the CEO of The Human Services Skills Organisation. Ms Schmidt said it was important to understand and celebrate the Human Services skills-based jobs which underpinned the Australian economy.

Now moving into its twelfth year, National Skills Week 2022 is being held this year, 22 to 28 August, inviting Australians to explore the Universe of Skills on offer through Vocational Education and Training.

A key objective of National Skills Week is to identify and highlight industries with the most in-demand jobs of the future as well as sectors forecast to see the biggest growth in coming years, to ensure Australians can gain the training and education they need to secure those jobs and maintain stable long-term employment.

Mr Wexham said it is critical that school leavers, job seekers, parents and career changers are informed of what the jobs of the future are, and what Australia’s most critical skills shortages and jobs needs are.

“This will ensure our young people, yet to start careers, can gain training and skills in education which is going to secure them a job at the end of that training.

Held annually, the vision ofNational Skills Week aims to raise awareness on the diversity of careers which can be realised through vocational education and training, the skills for an economically viable future, and the incredible range of new jobs and skills in demand for the future.

This year’s Week will be centred around the theme of ‘A Universe of Skills’ encouraging people to go beyond their imagination to discover careers, pathways and opportunities in skills and Vocational Education that they may not know about, thought about or even imagined.

“National Skills Week plays a pivotal role in strengthening and communicating the key messages of industry and government in an environment shaped by the fluid nature of skills requirements and ever-evolving technologies,” Mr Wexham said.

“This initiative is designed to achieve real, transformative outcomes for Australian people – to inspire people to undertake active, participative education and training that VET provides resulting in skills that can realise immediate rewards in jobs, success and contribute to building our economy.”

For further information, visit the National Skills Week website. 

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