Background Information
Teachers: The following
information will aid you in setting the Australian career scene for this integrated unit
of work.
Sourced from DEWRSB publications and Australian Bureau of Statistics
Where do People Work
The Labour Force
Participation in the Labour Force
Teenagers and Fulltime Employment
Status Within Employment
Unemployment Rate
Employment Growth
Skills Shortage
Education and Employment
Changing Workplaces
Information and Communication
Technology
University Graduation and Employment
Career paths
- A quarter of workers in Australia are employed in occupations classified as requiring a high level of skill (Managers, administrators and professionals). Professional jobs generally require a degree or higher qualification
- The largest professional occupations belong to: Business, Information Communications Technologies, Education and Health
- Another quarter of our country's workers are employed as Associate Professionals, Tradepersons, Advanced Clerical or Service Workers
- The largest employing Trade occupations are
in: construction, mechnical and fabrication engineering, general trades (printing, wood,
hairdressing, textile/clothing), electronics and automotive.
- Australia's labour force is made up of people aged 15 and over who, during a particular week, are either employed or unemployed.
- Australia's labour force in 1998 (latest figures) was made up of 9.3 million workers. In 2016 that number is projected to rise to 10.8 million.
- This represents an average annual growth of 0.8% between 1998 and 2016 compared with an average annual growth of 1.9% between 1979 and 1998.
PARTICIPATION IN THE LABOUR FORCE
- The participation rate represents the proportion of the population aged 15 and over who are in the labour force.
- Participation rates, are analysed in terms of age, sex and martial status to provide information about the size and composition of labour supply.
- The annual average participation rate for males has generally been declining for some time, and in 1998-99 it was 72.8%. In contrast, the female participation rate has been generally rising. In 1998-99 the participation rate was 53.9%.
- Males aged 20 and over: Throughout the last decade Australia's full time employment of males has ranged from a low of 3.7 million, in December 1992, to a high of 4.2 million in April 2000.
- Females aged 20 and over: In
September of 1992 there were 1.7 million women working full time in the labour force. The
participation rate has climbed steadily over the decade and as of April 2000 stands at 2.1
million.
TEENAGERS AND FULL-TIME EMPLOYMENT
- Males aged 15 to 19: In 1989 full-time employment of teenage males, aged between 15 and 19, peeked at 271,300. Throughout the 1990s governments encouraged teenage retention in educational or vocational training programs; and discouraged early participation in the full-time labour market. In April 2000 there were 148,900 teenagers engaged in full-time employment.
- Females aged 15 to 19: In 1989 the employment
of female teenagers peeked at 187,700. By August 1998 that figure dropped to 73,600. In
April 2000 there were 88,400 engaged in full-time employment
- The total labour force is made up of people with different functions: employers, own-account workers, employees and contributing family workers. A breakdown of the 8.6 million labour force in 1998/1999 was as follows:
Employers 349,800
Own-account workers 822,500
Employees 7,399,700
Contributing family workers 66,300
Total 8,638,400
- The raw data used to estimate unemployment figures is put through a series of adjustments to make the information more reliable and usable.
- The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in April 2000 was 6.8% of the entire labour force. The rate of unemployment for both men and women was also 6.8%
EMPLOYMENT GROWTH
In the five years leading up to 1998 the strongest employment growth in industry was in:
- Property and Business Services
- Cultural and Recreational Services
- Personal And Other Services
- Health and Community Services
- Accommodation:
- Cafes & Restaurants
Future employment growth is expected to be concentrated in service industries, with a continuation of the shift towards part-time, casual, and contract work.
Skill shortages exist when employers have difficulty filling vacancies in recognised occupations. The labour market has skill shortages in three main occupational areas:
- Professions: engineering, computing, nursing, and teaching.
- Trades: metal, construction, vehicle, food and furniture.
- Service occupations: chefs and child-care workers.
- The likelihood of being unemployed generally decreases as the level of educational qualification increases:
- Percentage of unemployed workers by occupation in 1998 were as follows:
- Labourers - 8.5%
- Sales/service - 3.6%
- Transport - 5.2%
- Clerical/service - 2.0%
- Tradespeople - 3.6%
- Professionals - 1.3%
- Administrators - 0.8%
"Standing still is the fastest way of moving backwards in a rapidly changing world"
- Young people today are facing an uncertain future. In a
rapidly changing world the nature and availability of work is also changing. Equipping
young people to successfully make the transition from school to work is more important
than ever.
Sourced from ASTF publication Bright Futures: http://www.astf.com.au/
- "We want every young Australian to be better prepared
for various life roles in what we know is an increasingly complex and constantly changing
society. This is why we believe that successful transitions from school to post school
life are the key to building brighter futures for both young Australians, Australian
communities, and Australian business"
INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY
- To November 1998 demand for ICT occupations grew by over 30 per cent compared with just 12 per cent for other occupations:
- ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGIST
(272% growth)
- IT MANAGERS
(114% growth)
- COMPUTING PROFESSIONALS
(76% growth)
- TECHNICAL SALES REP’S
(55% growth)
UNIVERSITY GRADUATION & EMPLOYMENT
- A graduate’s choice of career affects his/her chance of employment:
90% Success Rates in:
- Medicine
- Pharmacy
- Vetenary Science
- Nursing
- Law
- Mining Engineering
- Dentistry
70% Success Rates in:
- Visual Arts
- Performing Arts
- Social Science
- Life Science
- Languages
- Humanities
- Chemistry
CAREER PATHS
Career paths are very unique and don’t necessarily follow a
predictable route. However, most career paths have common features that overall form a
pattern.
Sourced from "My Career" http://www.mycareer.com.au,
the following headings can be used to start discussions with students and relate to
various career milestones. Go to the website for more details:
- YOUR WORKING LIFE
This involves looking at issues such as:- Money: wages, budgeting, banking, taxes
- Time management: work hours, meetings, diaries, calendars
- People: colleagues, people skills, relationships, managers, teams
- Fulfillment: performance, goals, aspirations, promotion, rewards
- Looking Ahead: planning, career changes, satisfaction,
retirement.
- MAKING A CAREER CHANGE
This involves a number of factors including:- Readiness: timing, experience, benefits, risks
- Preparation: resume, job seeking, aproaching employers
- Interviews: research, selection processes, presentation skills
- Old Job: giving notice, handing over duties
- New Job: workplace expectations: who’s who? where’s
where? and what’s what?
- WHAT TO DO WHEN
Our career is affected by these circumstances and who/what is around to help:- No Job: redundancy, termination, compensation, entitlements
- Harassment: victimisation, discrimination, unwanted attention
- Legal Rights: equal employment, anti-discrimination, affirmative action
- Trade Unions: Industrial relations, membership, working conditions, resolution
- Life Changes: Family, illness, disability
- TRAINING & SKILLS UPGRADE
We all need to continue to learn, what are the issues involved:- Benefits: continued education, new qualifications
- Learning Options: further education, cost factors
- Entitlements: employer contributions, professional development, accreditation
- On the job: apprenticeships, training courses, tailored programs
- Degrees: university courses, graduate pathways
Teaching Notes
How to use this unit
