Hays has revealed close to 100 skills that will be in greatest demand across 27 sectors and industries next year, including architecture, construction, engineering, facilities management, property and trades and labour. Let’s take a closer look:
Architecture
Within Australia’s architecture jobs market, the skills in greatest demand are:
Residential Drafters with experience who can carry out design work for kit and custom design homes in response to an increase in new home builds;
Environmental Planners with public sector experience who can work on new urban development plans that have been fast-tracked in response to infrastructure investment;
Urban/Town Planners who can work on parks and community assets, such as mixed-use zones incorporating commercial and residential precincts, public transport terminals and common areas. Experience with local authority or council codes and standards is required.
Construction
Within Australia’s construction jobs market, the skills in greatest demand are:
Residential Estimators who can complete production or sales estimating for busy mid to high volume project home builders;
Site Supervisors with experience working for insurance companies on remedial work, including completing a make safe, estimating a job then either completing or at the minimum supervising the project through to completion;
Commercial Site Managers with experience working on childcare, aged care and education projects and a trade background.
Engineering
Within Australia’s engineering jobs market, the skills in greatest demand are:
Control Systems Engineers with multiple platform hardware and software experience in addition to qualifications in machine safety. These candidates are required as engineering consultancies increase headcount for integration projects in the food and manufacturing industries, and for capital projects in the resources and heavy industries;
Civil Designers with formal qualifications who can work in a consultancy and focus on land subdivision and earthworks relating to stormwater and sewage planning. Multiple software package exposure is required as varied platforms are typically used, including Revit, AutoCAD, Civil 3D and 12D;
Civil & Structural Engineers for consultancies with a mix of civil and structural experience in addition to experience managing design teams and CPEng certification.
Facilities Management
Within Australia’s FM jobs market, the skills in greatest demand are:
Facilities Managers with strong stakeholder engagement or public sector experience, a focus on contract management, communication skills and an ability to work through the complexities of a flexible workforce. An engineering or building background is valued, as is exposure to the healthcare sector as hospitals commence upgrades;
Planners and Schedulers who can drive increased efficiency during planned and reactive maintenance, with an analytical approach, strong attention to detail and IT systems skills, including Excel and specialist systems;
Project Managers – HVAC who can scope work upgrades, manage a project through to completion and have a specific HVAC background;
Residential Building Managers who can attend to maintenance, particularly in common areas that are receiving more wear and tear as people work from home;
Building Inspectors/Asset Surveyors who can inspect properties and carry out the necessary maintenance. Government departments that want to update asset registers before commencing increased maintenance programs also require candidates with clear report writing skills.
Data Centre/Technical Facilities Managers who can manage a back office in response to the growth of remote working.
Property
Within Australia’s property jobs market, the skills in greatest demand are:
Sales Agents with strong negotiation skills in the residential and industrial segments. Listing agents in residential are in greatest demand due to a stock shortage;
Investment Managers and Analysts with a strong understanding of financial modelling, feasibilities and due diligence to help investors and owners understand the short and long-term impact of the pandemic on existing portfolios and new acquisitions and developments;
Industrial property experts – across the industrial industry, any property professional with industrial experience is in demand and can secure a job.
Trades and Labour
Within Australia’s trades and labour jobs market, the skills in greatest demand are:
Domestic HVAC Technicians for service and install work with a Certificate III in air conditioning and their electrical license;
Plasterers with experience in the whole range of plastering, from setting to sheeting, for commercial and residential new builds and refurbishments;
Plumbers in the commercial and maintenance sectors who are trade qualified with a gas fitting dual trade and TMV and Backflow endorsements.
