Campus Review Volume 27. Issue 06 | June 17 | Seite 7

NEWS
campusreview.com.au
FASTEST GROWING JOBS
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Early childhood teachers
Occupational therapists
Social workers
Special education teachers
Speech professionals and
audiologists
DECLINING JOBS
1. Binders, finishers and
screen printers
2. Metal engineering process
workers
3. Printing assistants and table
workers
4. Secretaries
5. Sewing machinists
Don’t fear rise of the robots
The latest Good Careers Guide
outlines why you shouldn’t be
too concerned about automation
in the teaching industries.
W
hat will a reliable career look like
in 2022?
According to the Good
Education Group’s The Good Careers Guide
2017, it will be in early education, special
education, social work, occupational therapy,
speech pathology and audiology.
Though 30,000 positions will be added
to these areas, 17,000 will be lost from the
professions most in decline: binders, finishers
and screen printers; metal engineering
process workers; printing assistants;
secretaries; and sewing machinists.
Good Education Group chief data
analyst Ross White suggested robotics
and automation play a role in the above-
mentioned jobs’ respective growth and
Foreign student
numbers surge
Respected qualifications and quality institutions are
helping drive a boom in international students.
F
oreign students are flocking to our (mostly) sunny shores in
increasing numbers, government data has revealed.
In the first quarter of this year, international student numbers
increased by 15 per cent, to 480,092. A third were from China;
followed by 11 per cent from India; 4 per cent each from Malaysia,
Vietnam and Nepal; and the remainder from other countries.
recession. In teaching, for instance, the
human element is vital: technology can
enhance but not replace the teacher’s role;
whereas in, say, office administration, virtual
assistants like Apple’s Siri can increasingly
usurp basic tasks like scheduling
appointments, typing and electronic filing.
As for the other noted professions in decline,
White claimed they will all ultimately be fully
automated. “None of these roles requires
human decision-making skills,” he explained.
Although, perhaps screen printers and
the like may retrain as Uber drivers? The
Guide points out the proliferation of new
professions as a result of novel technologies
like smartphones. Along with peer-to-peer
drivers, jobs as app designers and social
media managers are on the rise. In fact, the
Guide predicts that nearly 70 per cent of
children aged 8–9 will, upon graduation,
gain jobs that don’t yet exist.
White added his view on how technology
will aid job creation: “With virtual and
augmented reality becoming more
technologically advanced, and the further
integration of computers with humans,
there are any number of occupations
waiting to be invented.” ■
A 2016 Australian government survey of foreign students found
that well-regarded qualifications and institution quality were two of
the key drawcards.
Jana Diewilde’s motivations complemented the government
survey’s findings. A postgraduate journalism student at UTS
from Germany, she said that: “Studying abroad is always seen as
something outstanding here in Germany.
“It just shows that you’re able to adapt to a different culture and
proves that you’re able to study and work in a different language.
“Other than that, I guess I was just really curious about Australia
and heard a lot about their great universities.”
Given the sustained growth in the volume of international
students, it’s unsurprising that international students are mostly
satisfied with their experiences.
Universities Australia chief executive Belinda Robinson was
pleased by the figures, but voiced a concern about impending
budget cuts to universities.
“Quality is our drawcard,” she said. “We must guard it wisely.
“We know that international students are attracted to Australia by
the excellent quality of the education we provide and the calibre of
both teaching and research here.
“That’s why proposed cuts to university funding have to be
considered so carefully by parliament. Any erosion in the quality
of our higher education sector would diminish the education of
Australian students and jeopardise this enormously important
export sector.”
UA says funds from international students contribute $22.4
billion in income annually, of which $15 billion flows through to the
national economy. ■
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