Despite a fall in the unemployment rate, the latest quarterly vacancy figures show job seekers are still gruelling it out in a tough job market – in fact it’s as tough as it’s been for over a decade.
While the unemployment rate has remained relatively steady, with a slight, unexpected, increase in the adjustment for the seasonal period, the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) recent figures show the fight over available jobs is getting harder.
In Western Australia alone the situation has gone downhill rapidly. In mid-2012 there were a mere 1.55 unemployed individuals for each job vacancy; a year ago this had jumped to 2.5; today there’s an average of 3.55 unemployed wrangling for each position.
In the sunny mining state of Queensland, there are now 6 unemployed fighting it out over each advertised position. In New South Wales it’s 4.8. In Victoria and South Australia that number jumps to 6.9 and Tasmanians are doing it particularly tough at 8.5 job seekers for every vacancy.
But these state averages don’t take into account what kind of positions are available compared to the skill set of those seeking employment.
The Department of Employment’s monthly vacancy report shows that the majority of positions available are for professionals and managers. Though, there are significantly less job seekers in this skill set.
So what does this mean for forklift drivers?
Well, a difficult job market means a need for job seekers to develop their skills.The Ferrier Hodgson, Transport and Logistics Insights: The Road Ahead, 2014, identified the industry’s potential growth over the next 15 years to be significant – indicating the potential increase for jobs in this market:
‘Australia’s transport and logistics industry generates approximately $201 billion a year in revenue, accounting for 15% of GDP, and is linked to every traditional industry in our economy. The industry is expected to undergo significant growth in the coming decades with our freight task predicted to double by 2030 and triple by 2050 off the back of a doubling between 1990 and 2010.’
The combination of a growing industry with an aging employee sector makes logistics and transport an ideal sector for young job seekers looking to develop their careers.
Your forklift licence is your first step into this exciting and expanding industry sector. If you’re already licensed, making sure your forklift licence is reviewed and renewed could be the difference between you being gainfully employed or still sitting on the job queue.
Following the 2011 consolidation of OH&S standards into the national model now known as WH&S (Work Health & Safety) forklift drivers are now obligated to undergo a training course and to be certified by a forklift licence training facility such as ACE Forklift Training. This licence, once obtained, is then recognised in any state. So once you’re qualified, you’ll be able to travel wherever the work takes you.
More good news for forklift drivers.
It’s not just the transport and logistics industry predicting future growth. Transport, postal and warehousing employs approximately 606,200 persons, accounting for around five per cent of the total Australian workforce. But big things are on the horizon. Job growth in the transport, postal and warehousing sector has been strong over the past five years, exceeding the national average. With e-commerce (online shopping) becoming moreand more popular, growth in the sector is only inevitable.
Your forklift licence doesn’t have to be the end.
Your forklift licence is only the beginning. Starting your job within these growing sectors will help build your career; getting you moving towards your employment goals. Forklift drivers get great hands-on experience inside warehouses and on transport docks. You’ll learn how things run, literally, from the floor up. If you’ve got the hunger to learn and take on more responsibility, you can find yourself moving up the employment ladder into better-paid manager positions.
Interested in getting your forklift licence? Find out how ACE Forklift Training can make sure you qualify for your licence first go. Head over to the Forklift Licence course page now.
