Careers & VM News 

Worth Thinking About... What does the Future of Work look like for our Students?

Choosing subjects, courses and career pathways can be challenging for students, especially when the world of work is changing so quickly. With our Year 12s facing plenty of decisions now, I thought it was worth looking at the recently released Australian Jobs 2026 report from Jobs and Skills Australia.

While nobody can predict exactly what the job market will look like in ten years, the report highlights a few trends worth thinking about. A major message to our Year 12's is to Stay Calm and Positive - things will work out OK!

1. Further education and training will matter – but that doesn't always mean university.

More than 90% of employment growth over the next ten years is expected to be in jobs requiring some form of education or training after school.

That doesn't mean every student needs a university degree. Apprenticeships, traineeships, TAFE certificates, diplomas and university degrees can all lead to good career opportunities.

For students, the question is perhaps less"Which university course should I do?" and more"What skills and qualifications will help me get where I want to go?"

2. Health, technology and construction continue to grow.

Health Care and Social Assistance is now Australia's largest employing industry, with around 2.4 million workers. Professional and Technical Services, Construction, Retail and Education are also major employers.

Health Care is also Victoria's largest employing industry and is expected to continue growing strongly.

It's worth remembering that these industries offer many different types of jobs. Health Care, for example, needs nurses and carers, but also IT workers, administrators, technicians and managers. Likewise, the construction industry needs much more than just tradespeople.

3. AI is more likely to change jobs than simply replace them.

AI understandably creates some uncertainty when young people think about future careers. However, the report suggests that AI is more likely to change the way we work rather than simply replace whole jobs.

Students will need to be comfortable using new technology, including AI, but the human skills employers have always valued will remain important – communication, judgement, flexibility, problem solving, creativity and teamwork.

Being confident with technology while also being good at working with people could be a very useful combination.

4. A first job doesn't have to be a "forever career".

Retail and hospitality are still two of the biggest employers of young Australians. A casual job at a supermarket, café, restaurant or local business may have little connection to a student's eventual career, but that doesn't make it unimportant.

These jobs teach young people to turn up on time, communicate with customers, work in a team, solve problems and take responsibility. Just as importantly, they give students real workplace experience they can add to a resume and talk about in future interviews.

Work experience, volunteering, sport and community involvement can also help develop many of these skills.

5. You don't need to have it all worked out.

Perhaps the most useful message for students is that they don't need to have their whole career mapped out by the end of Year 12.

Jobs and industries will continue to change, and students are likely to move between different roles and perhaps even different industries during their working lives.

Rather than searching for the one "perfect" career, it can be more useful to build a collection of skills, qualifications and experiences that provide options.

To conclude

The report also makes an important point about not choosing a career simply because a job is currently in shortage or predicted to grow. The job market changes, and will continue to do so. Students are generally better off looking for areas that match their interests, strengths and abilities, and then exploring the different pathways available.

For our senior students, that's a really useful message at this time of year: you don't need to have everything worked out. You just need to keep building your skills and experiences and work out what your next step might be.

I admit I can be a bit of a nerd about careers data, but I believe the full Australian Jobs 2026 report is worth a browse for students and parents interested in exploring industry profiles, occupation information, training pathways and labour-market data.

Vocational Major

Congratulations to Year 12 Personal Development Skills (PDS) students, who held a successful fundraiser last week for the Beyond Blue organisation that supports people experiencing mental health problems.

 The students baked brownies and cupcakes, held a sausage sizzle and car wash. Well done to all the students for pitching in to support this worthwhile charity. These students also attended an excursion to Eastland to work together at some fun activities. Yesterday they held their Careers Portfolio presentation for parents, staff and other guests. Well done to everyone involved.