Huge job growth for sparkies in Australia

Electricians are in high demand across Australia, with roles increasing by up to 66% over the past year.

SEEK Employment Report data found there has been a 2.8% increase in new job ads nationally in the 12 months to October 2018. While the largest job ad growth was seen in Victoria (66%), it also rose by 36% in Western Australia, 22% in South Australia, 20% in New South Wales and 15% in Queensland.

Kendra Banks, Managing Director of SEEK ANZ, said: “Earlier in the year we saw Victoria and New South Wales competing to be crowned Australia’s biggest contributor to job ad growth. What we are seeing now is a stark divergence between the two states — whilst NSW continues to post the majority of job ads their growth has remained flat, whereas Victoria is the undisputed engine of growth accounting for 48% of positive job ad growth nationally.”

Electricians are contributing to nearly half (48%) of all Trades & Services job ad growth in NSW, and nearly a quarter (23%) in Victoria. Other industries that are experiencing growth are automotive trades and plumbers.

However, employers have struggled to attract electrician candidates in NSW, Queensland and SA, and particularly in Victoria, where there has been a 37% decrease in candidate availability over the past year. Banks said educating people on the strong, long-lasting career prospects for electricians can help make sure Australia meets the demand for candidates.

“We know that automation is not negatively affecting job opportunities for electricians compared to other industries, due to the non-routine and problem-solving nature of their work. There is positive growth within the domestic and commercial markets for traditional electricians and a growing requirement for specialised AV technicians,” Banks said.

The demand is largely driven by the current and projected construction projects in the residential, commercial and public infrastructure sectors across Victoria. According to Protech Business Manager for Victoria Michael Bateman, employers are increasingly seeking specialised skill sets.

He said: “There is an increased requirement for high-voltage/commissioning technicians to service the demand in construction and infrastructure work, electricians with data/AV specialisations within facility management and for electricians in the facility maintenance and service industry, which service healthcare facilities and schools. We are also seeing a significant increase in demand for electrical apprentices within the commercial industry for both general and data cabling work.”

Future career prospects are looking bright for those in the electrical industry, as Bateman highlighted the latest figures from the Department of Jobs and Small Business show that electricians are one of the top trades in Australia, employing over 158,000 candidates annually.

Image credit: ©stock.adobe.com/au/SergeyNivens