Do you want to play a role in the education of tomorrow’s workforce? If so, now might be the time to take your first step with the latest data from SEEK Employment Trends revealing prospects in the Education and Training industry were even higher in August.

Candidates in Education and Training saw a 6% increase from June to August in opportunities on SEEK and the average advertised salary was $78,802 in FY17.

While most areas of the industry, such as early childhood teaching, childcare and outside school hours care, saw year-on-year growth for the three-month period from June the August, it was the post-secondary school sector that saw the most growth. Tertiary teaching roles increased by 28% while university management roles grew by 20% over the same period.

University challenge

Australia’s Higher Education sector directly employs more than 120,000 staff and supports the delivery of education to over 1 million students. Research from Deloitte shows the sector contributes around $25 billion to the Australian economy.

It also faces a number of challenges. Research from EY shows a quarter of its academic workforce is aged 55 and over, compared to 15% for the rest of the workforce in Australia.

The EY research notes that as universities become more consumer-driven and competitive, they may also need employers with greater commercial skills within both the administrative and academic workforce.

“Universities operate in a global environment and need people who can navigate this complexity, including engagement with governments and industry nationally and internationally,” Bridgid Connors, Chief Human Resources Officer at Monash University.

Teaching talent

Connors explains that Monash University’s reputation helps attract talented candidates.

“Ranked in the top 100 universities in the world and a member of the Group of Eight, Monash University has an international profile and reach, distinguished by excellence in research,” she says.

“We have clear goals to be excellent in all that we do, foster international engagement and enterprise through collaboration with industry and provide an inclusive culture. Monash is ambitious in everything we do and if we can see a similar trait in an applicant this is very encouraging.

There are more than 73,800 enrolled students at Monash and the university has seven locations across Australia, as well as a presence in five international cities.

“Our student numbers have grown steadily by five per cent year-on-year and attracting the best talent to teach the workforce of the future is critical,” says Connors.

The university also employs 16,434 people across a wide range of roles. Connors explains that academic staff are attracted to the opportunity to be involved in innovative research and teaching that has an impact on communities locally and globally.

“They can also work with talented staff nationally and internationally who are working towards common goals,” she says.

Boost for early childhood teaching

There was also a growth in opportunities at the very beginning of the education spectrum on SEEK. Early childhood teaching was up by 14% year-on-year for the three-month period from June to August. Childcare and outside school hours care grew by 5% over the same period.

Michael Ilczynski, Managing Director for SEEK Australia and New Zealand, says childcare and outside school hours care workers are the most sought-after professionals across the education and training industry.

“Childcare is a booming sector across Australia,” he says. “A recent review of the Australian Childcare industry by Colliers International in May 2016 revealed that 1.2 million children attend approximately 17,000 government-approved childcare services nationwide, and those numbers have grown substantially over the last five years, recording an annual growth rate of 4.6 per cent.”

Alex Jones, Regional Director for Hays Education, says more childcare centres are opening to meet demand. “It’s very common these days for both parents to be working, so demand for childcare and outside school hours care is high,” he says. “We also had a mini baby boom about six or seven years ago, and that is having an impact on demand.”

Achieving top marks

Jones says that while demand in many sectors of the education and training industry is high, candidates still need to consider how they can stand out to potential employers.

“Employers want to see measurements and results,” he says. “If you a secondary school teacher, for example, include the average HSC score of your students so potential employers can see your standard of teaching.”

Connors says that preparation is key. “Candidates who have taken time to respond to an advertised role and can demonstrate excellence in their application will always stand out,” she says. “It’s also important for a candidate to highlight their alignment with our values and culture while also demonstrating a strong track record of performance, quality outcomes, impact and achievement in their discipline or field.”

So, if looking for a role in the education of tomorrow’s workforce - study your resume to make sure it stands out!