Jobs and Skills Australia continue their excellent analysis of the Australian jobs market, and the skills and occupations in demand.

Their website is a great resource for providers wanting to understand where there is growing demand for training as industries and occupations grow, and conversely where demand for training is likely to fall as other industries and occupations shrink.

Getting an understanding of what’s happening in the jobs market in regional areas is much harder than in major cities given their respective sizes, and the significant diversity across regional areas. And that is where the latest Jobs and Skills Australia analysis of Regional Labour Market Indicator results is so useful.

While regional and remote areas of Australia are “more likely to experience weaker labour market conditions than their major city counterparts”, there are some regions with much stronger labour markets and hence a greater need for training.

Regions with strong labour markets include the Southern Murray-Darling Basin (which covers parts of New South Wales, Victoria, the ACT and South Australia) especially the Riverina and Shepparton which recorded ‘above average’ labour market conditions in December 2024, up from ‘below average’ and ‘average’ the year before.

The Sunshine Coast, Toowoomba and Gold Coast regions surrounding Brisbane are also experiencing strong population growth and strong labour markets.

And what kinds of VET-related occupations are experiencing the highest rates of growth in these regions? Jobs and Skills Australia’s NERO dashboard has all the answers:

Riverina:

  • Forestry and logging workers
  • Camping ground managers
  • Textile and footwear production machine operators
  • Sales support workers
  • Clothing trades workers
  • Animal attendants and trainers

Shepparton:

  • Database and systems administrators, ICT security specialists
  • Automotive technicians
  • Camping ground managers
  • Farm workers
  • Sheetmetal workers
  • Care sector workers (early childhood, aged and disabled carers, other personal service workers)

Gold Coast:

  • Printing assistants and table workers
  • Forestry and logging workers
  • Sales support workers
  • ICT trainers
  • Engineering production workers
  • Farm, forestry and garden workers

Sunshine Coast:

  • Printing assistants and table workers
  • ICT trainers
  • Hotel service managers
  • Metal casting, forging and finishing trades workers
  • Sales support workers
  • Electrical distribution trades workers

Toowoomba:

  • Sales support workers
  • Hospitality workers
  • Agricultural technicians
  • Electrical distribution trades workers
  • Ambulance officers and paramedics
  • Printing assistants and table workers