Healthcare Industry: Analysing Career Opportunities & Labour Trends

This report provides an evaluation of career opportunities within the Australian labour market, specifically focusing on the healthcare industry. It examines the labor market conditions, highlighting the rapid growth of the healthcare sector in Australia, including national and state-level information, current employment and unemployment figures, and changing labor market conditions. The report focuses on aged care and community health sectors to explore potential career paths. It also addresses multicultural challenges faced by international students and offers solutions to overcome them. Furthermore, the report recommends organizations for job opportunities, provides a job-searching plan, and suggests strategies to improve future employability in the healthcare sector. The analysis includes employment characteristics, top occupations, and unemployment rates across different states and territories in Australia. The report concludes with insights into the future direction of the labor market and the increasing role of technology in healthcare recruitment.

Running head: PROFESSIONAL WORKPLACE PRACTICE
Professional Workplace Practice
Evaluate career opportunities within the current labour market with a specific focus on target
industry
Student’s name:
Name of the university:
Author’s note:

1PROFESSIONAL WORKPLACE PRACTICE
Executive Summary
In this report, evaluation of career opportunities within the recent Australian labour market is
revealed. The main focus is on the health care industry where the requirements of industry
thinking, employment trends, important considerations of career development and work
opportunities are explained. In the first section, labour market conditions in the health care
industry have been the main focus and in Australia, health care industry has been increasing in a
rapid way. National and state information, current employment and unemployment condition and
changing labour market condition have been described to show the acceleration of the health care
industry. In health care industry, aged care and community health have been chosen to show the
career path. In addition, multicultural challenges facing by the international students have been
described with the solution to overcome these challenges. In the recommendations section, three
organisations have been selected to find the employment opportunities. A job-searching plan is
given in order to find the opportunity. Lastly, strategies to improve the employability of the
future are provided.

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Table of Contents
1. Introduction..................................................................................................................................3
2. Australian labour market trends in Health Care industry............................................................3
National and state information of changing labour market conditions in Australia....................3
Current employment and unemployment figures in Australia.....................................................4
3. Career opportunities in healthcare sectors and occupations........................................................6
3.1 Aged care...............................................................................................................................7
3.2 Community health..................................................................................................................7
4. Intercultural challenges................................................................................................................8
5. Recommendations........................................................................................................................9
6. Conclusion.................................................................................................................................11
Reference List................................................................................................................................13

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1. Introduction
This report evaluates the career opportunities within the Australian labour market with a
specific focus on the healthcare industry. Two healthcare sectors, such as aged care and
community health have been chosen in order to explain viable option for the career path based on
the labour market research. This report is strived to identify the occupations that could apply in
each of the sectors based on the employees' skills, experience and interest. In the later section of
the report, intercultural challenges faced by the international students have been discussed.
Intercultural challenges can impact on career opportunities in Australia and this report tries to
find the strategies to overcome these challenges. In the recommendations section, a job-seeking
plan has been given with identifying the employability of the students for the future in the
healthcare sector.
2. Australian labour market trends in Health Care industry
In Australia, labour market conditions have been strengthened between the phase June
2016 and 2017. During that phase, the employment rate increased by 1.9% and that was above
the annual growth rate in past ten years in Australia (Bonoli 2017). However, the strong growth
rate of employment has been much in the part-time employment and it was clearly showing in
the aggregate monthly working hours. Most importantly, the largest increases in employment
were in health care as well as the social assistance and this figure touched the mark of 4.9%
(Wilkins 2017).

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National and state information of changing labour market conditions in Australia
The Australian economy has been changing in the perspective of self-employment, gig-
economy, rising incidents of employment in part-time basis and underemployment. On the other
side, as observed by Wilkins (2017), the labour market in Australia is stable than the changing
one as the there is a shift to the casual work as well as the self-employment. Statistics show that
there are almost 12 million employed individuals in Australia among which almost 45% are
women (data based on 2017, August). In the year 2000, only 21% women were working,
therefore, the national data shows the changing the trend of part-time working in the labour
market (Wilkins and Wooden 2014). The average age of the employees in the healthcare industry
is 43 years and average earning in health care are approximately $1,250 per week for the full-
time employees. In the health care industry, the employment may increase to 19% in next five
years till 2022. Health care industry is projected to make the highest contribution to the growth
of the employment. In the healthcare industry; occupation, region, skill level and education are
the major factors that the employers are looking for. In state-level information, the salary of the
employees who are working in health care has been increased considerably. The affordable
access to the health care has increased the greater demands of the healthcare providers. As stated
by Wheelahan et al. (2015), in health care industry, consumerism is inescapable as it is the
growing trend. The health care providers are giving highest quality service to the people as the
health care providers whopped almost 86% of the beliefs of the consumers. Service users are
increasingly matching with the active role in the care experience.

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Current employment and unemployment figures in Australia
In the health care industry, approximately 1,662,900 individuals are working and this is
around 14% of the total workforce in Australia, both full and part-time. In the last five years,
health care industry has accelerated by 22%. (Limp.gov.au 2018)
Employment characteristics Data
Employment growth (five years to November 2017) (‘000) 301.6
Employment Level- 2017 November (‘000) 1,663
Employment growth (five years to November 2017) (%) 22.1%
Full-time share of employment 56.6%
The male share of the employment (year to November 2017) 21.7%
Female share of employment (year to November 2017) 78.2%
Table 1: Employment characteristics
(Source: Abs.gov.au 2018)
Aged disabled carers
Registered nurses
Child cares
Nursing support and personal care workers
Recenptionists
General Practioners
0 100,000 200,000 300,000
153,200
260,300
114,700
89,200
83,800
65,300
Numbers of individuals employed in
Health Care Industry
Figure 1: Top ten occupations
(Source: Abs.gov.au 2018)

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The employment projections are mainly designed to give the future direction to the
labour market and there is always a degree of uncertainty. Labour Force Survey Data of
Australia shows that employment projections of the jobs will increase as the online job
advertising trends are showing this. Moreover, in health care, the use of technology has been
increased where many of the health care professionals can find their job roles. Technologies
nowadays take the significant role in healthcare recruitment and the individuals must have
knowledge regarding the healthcare.
ACT NT Victoria SA WA Tasmania NSW Queensland
0.00%
1.00%
2.00%
3.00%
4.00%
5.00%
6.00%
4.40% 3.90%
6.00% 6.00% 5.60% 6.00%
4.80%
6.00%
Unemployment rates (%) by
State/Territory -2017
Figure 2: Unemployment rates (%) by State/Territory
(Source: Abs.gov.au 2018)
On the other side, the trend rate of unemployment in Australia has been reached to 5.5%
and it was reduced from 5.8% in the year 2016. In province wise, the unemployment rate mainly
decreased in Western Australia (6.3% to 5.3%), South Australia (6.8% to 5.9%), Tasmania (6.6%
to 6%) and Queensland (6.2% to 6%) (Abs.gov.au 2018). In Australia, another factor of
unemployment causes due to migrate as migrant employment rates are associated to the age, skill
level and English proficiency and relevant working experience.

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3. Career opportunities in healthcare sectors and occupations
In Australia, health care industry is soaring high as this industry is creating more job
opportunity in recent time. The growth of employment in this industry touched the mark of 22%
and in next five years, this percentage may increase to 16.1%. The projected employment growth
in health care industry will be 250’000 (Mialon et al. 2017).
3.1 Aged care
In Australia, the aging population is expected accelerate and by the end of 2056, it is
projected to have almost 8.7 million aged Australians. At present almost 20% of the Australians
are counted as older people and these people are more than 65 years of age (Seek.com.au 2018).
Aged care services are synonymous to the changing needs of the people and the service users
need to be able to make decisions about the finances and care. Aged care providers in Australia
mainly work at houses of the service users. Service users in Australia want to have help in
personal care for dressing and bathing, housework, social activities, food, preparation, meals,
transport, physical exercise, mobility aid, nursing care and allied health service. In next 25 years
in Australia, the expenditure in health per person may get double. I want to be a Person carer in
aged care home. The opportunities in aged care as Personal Carer will increase by 13% in next
five years as it means employers will be looking for more experienced and qualified staffs with
education and soft skills (McGowan and Andrews 2017). The employers in aged care services
are trying to get a caring culture, reward and recognition and focus on the mental health. In the
aged care services as Personal Carer, I need to provide physical and mental demands of the
patients and I am to provide effective communication and high level of standards commitment
and care. Government of Australia started Commonwealth Home Support Programme (CHSP)

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for the older people to get the assistance and therapy who live in insecure accommodation with
risk of homelessness.
3.2 Community health
Community Health Workers (CHW) needs to interact with the common public to address
the health issues that can affect the diverse members of the community population. In the
community, the children, homeless, elderly and veterans live and community health workers
assist medical support to them. CHWs provide their assistance to educators and medical
professionals by engaging with community members, implementing the health programme in
public and collecting the data for the community benefits in Australia (Booth and Whelan 2014).
In Australia, Home and Community Care (HACC) services are given to the Commonwealth and
Victoria residents with affordable health and care services with a small fee. As stated by Barrie
(2017), in Australia, community health is taken as major issues as support services and clinical
care services to the community must be provided with maximum support. I can play the role of
health educator as in Australia; the field of community health may increase at a rate of 17% from
2017 to 2015 resulting to create new jobs (Baldwin et al. 2017). In Australia, the community
people are expecting to lower the health costs and the community health providers are educating
the community people about behaviours and health habits. Major responsibilities of community
health workers in Australia are related to gather the data for public health and perform the
surveys for larger public health. The CHWs in Australia need to interact with community people
to provide specialise services of testing, counselling, emergency training and prevention of
disease (Seaman et al. 2017).

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4. Intercultural challenges
As an international student in Australia, one might face the issue of fitting in to the native
culture. The students might face the language barriers, the issue of being different from the
classmates and cultural expectation. As opined by Levin (2017), international students may also
face the challenge of cultural shock as studying in foreign university may create disorientation.
The students can feel nervousness, confusion and loneliness as well. The unfamiliar atmosphere
and surroundings may be disintegrating for them. The breakdown of the social cohesion is the
major conflict in between groups and people (Taylor 2017). The conflict can be expressed
through cultural clines and racial discrimination. Aboriginal people also live some of the places
and prevalence of racism is reported in Australia.
In future career, the students need to understand the cultural difference and malpractice of
racism. For a healthcare professional, the racism, religion and colour of the people do not make
any difference. Marginalisation and exclusion must not come in the mind of the health care
professionals especially during the service of community health.
The solution of the culture shock of the future professionals can be possible knowledge of
the different culture of the people. The students in health care must not be uncomfortable about
surrounding and they can focus on learning about the new culture to embrace it. In order to fit in
the new culture, the health care providers can seek the activities to integrate about the knowledge
to meet the activities and friends. The students can attend the conference to get the idea of
diversity practice to improve sustainable multicultural societies.
5. Recommendations
Option 1
BaptistCare Shalom Aged Care Centre

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Shalom centre is surrounded by picturesque landscape and it is a caring community. This
aged care home considers the values of highly skilled members who do not underestimate the
power of individual care. Shalom Aged Care is in NSW and this place will be near to one of my
relative places. This aged care home will give importance to the experience people and it
provides quality care with shared accommodation.
Advantaged Care at Bondi Waters
Advantaged Care is ideal care service providers for the aged people and this aged care
home believes that the ageing population deserve the sophisticated IT and technological system,
efficient management and financial needs. Bondi Waters provide the provision to reach easily.
Mark Moran Vaucluse
This is aged care home and it also provides service to the community health as well. This
health care provider welcomes the vibrant community to plan the future of the senior citizens.
The core value of this service provider is to provide freedom to the community and aged care. It
has an excellent set of staffs and this care home maintains the team to ensure the hassle-free
lifestyle.
Job seeking plan
Action Items Duration Month 1 Month 2 Month 3
Critically target
Decide on job
search goal
2 weeks ✓
Establish
milestones
2 weeks ✓

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Strategy
development
1 week ✓
Develop long-
term strategy
2 weeks ✓
Research and
review job search
3 weeks ✓
Create a list of
target
organisations
1 week ✓
Table 2: Job searching plan
(Source: Self-developed)
Option 2
Employability skills can be developed through thinking about what to do next in future
and the students need to do hard to get the good grades. I am going to learn about writing a CV
and I am learning to speak good English as Australia is an English speaking language. I am
planning to secure work experience on a summer internship. I am planning to do the part-time
job in health care service as in Australia; part-time job provides enough employment
opportunity. I will collect the information regarding labour market information, cultural
competence and subject content.
In recent time, the employers do not have enough time to read the whole CV, tailoring the
message to the potential employers with specific knowledge of the firm is the new trend. Of late,
the candidates can contact the HR of the health care organisation to fix the interview date. The
candidates can check the social media pages of the health care homes where they can post about
recruiting message.