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What industries are future proof?

When choosing a career route, we need to consider the time it takes to study, build skills on the job with work experience and become an expert in a given field. But what industries are future proof? 

The constant evolution of technology means a lot more jobs could soon be replaced by robots or artificial intelligence, and likewise, if the pandemic has shown us anything – it’s that we always need to be prepared to pivot in our careers.

So to help choose a career path, it’s worth acknowledging what jobs will be in demand in the coming years, and what industries will remain secure in future New Zealand. Certain skills cannot be replaced and demand for these specialist abilities will only continue to rise, regardless of world events or changes in technology. 

With all of this in mind – let’s take a look at some future proof jobs and the skills you’ll need to master, in order to secure a position in these industries.

Future proof jobs New Zealand

More routine, repetitive jobs like working in a factory are most likely to be hit hardest by the technology revolution. Jobs where technology improves productivity, rather than outright replaces the worker, are going to be safer bets.

Several factors will have a bearing on the most in-demand jobs in New Zealand over the next ten years, but there are three main considerations: 

  • Firstly, the growing population will affect the kind of products and services that are in demand in New Zealand. There will likely be an increased demand for skilled and unskilled labour that can’t be replaced by technology and will need to be filled to some extent by migration where there are shortages. Roles within sectors that are face-to-face – such as education – will also continue to feature prominently. 
  • Secondly, as the population ages, there will be an increased demand on healthcare and a need for care workers. There is already a shortage of nurses in New Zealand – this only seems likely to increase with a population that requires more aged care. 
  • Finally, expanding technology advances will continue at pace. Cloud computing and mobile technology will drive growth in the technology sector and demand for product managers, project managers and software developers and engineers will rise and rise. 

Overall, the picture is bright, with a variety of industries projected to thrive in New Zealand in the years up to 2025. At the same time – over 5 million jobs will be replaced by automation over the next ten years, which is important to keep in mind with any career you choose to pursue in the immediate future.

Jobs being replaced by automation infographic

Top 10 job skills of tomorrow

Skill gaps will continue to be high over the next five years, as the qualities and experience employers look for will change shape due to the reasons outlined above. But what skills are forecast to be the most in-demand? 

Even for those maintaining their role, as opposed to entering the job market, there will be a strong upskilling requirement to keep up with the pace of change to their day-to-day working lives, brought upon by technology. 

The World Economic Forum issued a report last year outlining the top ten skills of tomorrow, with ‘critical thinking’ and ‘problem-solving skills’ topping the list that employers believe will be needed in the future, accompanied by ‘creativity’ and ‘initiative’, and ‘active learning’. Whilst new to the list are skills in self-management such as ‘resilience’, ‘stress tolerance’ and ‘flexibility’. 

So how can we grow these skills, if we aren’t already? The online learning and reskilling sector gained huge traction during the pandemic, as many turned to online course providers to learn new skills or pivot their careers. If this world event revealed anything, it’s that when there is a demand to swiftly adapt your professional expertise to new industries or niches, training through digital technologies is an easy and effective solution to master essential new skills.

In fact, to gain or retain a competitive advantage, it’s vital that employees continue to develop their additional skills through remote education. The great news is that here at My Learning Online, we already offer a wide range of courses across sectors including wildlife, photography, beauty, agriculture, lifestyle, small business and landscaping & horticulture – a fantastic solution for your personal study needs.

Top skills of tomorrow infographic

Jobs of the future 2025

Here is an overview of the following sectors that are predicted to have the most rapid growth and consistent career opportunities into the year 2025.

  1. Medical industry: Nurses, aged care workers and physios will be in high demand. Researchers, innovators and wellness experts will also be called on as employees as workplaces strive for better work/life balance and focus on physical and mental wellbeing in the workplace and working from home.
  2. Technology industry: Software programming, developers and jobs involving data analytics and visualisation are just a few tech-driven roles set for future growth.
  3. Construction industry: Construction managers, civil engineers, concreters, electricians and plumbers are expected to be in demand in coming years.
  4. Education: Teachers will continue to be needed to educate New Zealand’s kids, and to also keep up with population growth.
  5. Environment: Sustainable solutions to environmental issues continue to be at the forefront of news and government agendas. Organic and sustainable agriculture is likewise a promising growth sector of the economy.
  6. Food services industry: Jobs within agriculture, restaurant and in-home food delivery or cooking services are set to continue to be in strong demand.
  7. Sales industry: Sales analysts and professionals, as well as customer sales support agents, will be needed into the year 2025 and beyond.
  8. Housing industry: Real estate agents, in particular, look set to have stable career growth.
  9. Entertainment industry: Social media marketers, video editors, content storytellers and game developers will be increasingly in demand for their creativity and multimedia skills.
  10. Online assistants/coordinators: Virtual assistant and executive support assistant positions will continue to increase in popularity. Especially with many companies outsourcing these roles during the pandemic and seeing the benefits, in addition to an increasing trend towards remote working across all industries.

As you can see – there’s a whole host of areas where you can study and gain experience that will future proof your career well into the next half of this decade. If you’re interested in pursuing a career in any of the future proof industries above, why not take a look at our variety of short courses? 

Doing an online course gives you the freedom and flexibility to build a career you love at a time and pace that suits you. But if you’re not sure where to start, you can speak to our career consultants! 

What are you waiting for? Take your future back into your hands and talk to our friendly team today.

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