I went to the movies last weekend. Buying my tickets was quick, easy, and streamlined – and I didn’t interact with a single employee. About five years ago the process of selling movie tickets would have been somebody’s job – a job that lots of students had during their final years at high school and while they were at uni.

Times are changing
So, what does this mean for the jobs of the future? Especially when, as a uni student, you’re investing time and money into your studies with the goal of enhancing your future employment prospects?

The McKinsey Global Institute has examined current jobs expected to disappear and future jobs expected to be created by 2030. One of the significant findings from the report was that, under most scenarios, less than 5% of jobs can be fully automated. But even more significant was that, for about 60% of jobs, at least a third of work activities could be automated by 2030. So, right now, it looks like we have to explore how to upskill, retrain or change occupations to maintain employability and continue to be competitive and productive in the future world of work.

Now here’s the good news
Technological advancements will indirectly bring about new opportunities, partly due to the role technology plays in increasing productivity, resulting in economic growth. Other trends set to contribute to job growth include the need for health care and social assistance services within an ageing population, addressing climate challenge and improving energy efficiency, as well as the investment in the development of technology, infrastructure and building.

Future jobs with the highest percentage job growth globally are:

• Healthcare providers
• Professionals – such as engineers, scientists, accountants and analysts
• IT professionals and technology specialists
• Managers and executives – whose work cannot easily be replaced by machines
• Educators – especially in emerging economies with young populations
• “Creatives” –artists, performers, and entertainers
• Builders and related professions – particularly with increased investment in infrastructure and building
• Manual and service jobs in unpredictable environments – such as home-health aides and gardeners

Students, staff and industry representatives who participated in a Design Thinking workshop hosted by Innovation Central Perth generated ideas of potential growth areas for future work activities, including some radial ideas:

• Cognitive Cosmetic or Enhancement Technicians – someone who would perform clinical practices to enhance or modify cognitive capacity outside of any underlying medical condition, to ultimately enhance performance
• Micro Farm Designers – to deploy production methods on every available acre of land
• Sustainable Energy Transformation Executive – driving deployment of cost effective alternate energy generation
• Undersea Resort and Tourism Guide – to facilitate a recreation and tourism experience under the sea
• Education Course Designers – across multiple learning formats including VR, AI and MOOCs

These are just some of the unique skill set combinations that could become sought after in order to meet societal demands in tomorrow’s workforce.

If you’re a Curtin student, you can learn more about job prospects, industry trends and career pathways by exploring our Career Guides and keep up with industry updates on Careers for Tomorrow.