Looking for work in all the wrong places? Right now the regions are desperately seeking skilled workers to join their communities and gain career roles. Have you considered leaving the big smoke for a big career change? Queensland’s regions are ready with open arms!
Skills in Top Demand
Medical and Health Care
Health Care is in high demand across Queensland with doctors, nurses, sonographers, Radiologists, OTs, physios, midwives – just about every role in the medical industry is in dire need in regional Queensland. If you’re considering a tree change and come from a medical background you will likely have your pick of the posts in the regions. Learn more here.
Engineering and Construction
Despite the falling demand in the mining sector, the regions are in need of civil, electrical and mechanical engineers. With infrastructure, improvement comes a skills shortage in qualified engineering teams to design and implement new builds.
That also means a shortage in construction industry workers including surveyors, architects, draftspeople, welders, fitters, fabricators, steelworkers, machinists, joiners, electricians, plumbers, airconditioning industry professionals, and cabinetmakers.
Education
Primary, secondary and early childhood professionals are all in demand across Queensland. With changes to the “Regional Service” rules for teachers, schools formerly classed in the higher “regional categories” are struggling to find teaching staff. With fewer teachers heading far west or north, the state faces a staffing crisis in more distant schools.
Food production and processing
While our farmers struggle under drought conditions, the state still faces skills shortages almost across the board in the farming sector. The skills shortages aren’t just for our more traditional grows like wheat crops but for niche farming sectors too.
Aqualculturalists, cotton, flowers, fruit and nuts, cane, grapes and other foodstuff growers, as well as bakers and chefs, are all in high demand.
Professional Services
Accountants top the list of professionals needed to work in the regions but also business to business services like regional and local digital marketing, sales managers, corporate services, publicists, project management and other white-collar roles are going unfilled.
Incentives to “go regional”
The New South Wales government has always offered Sydneysiders incentives to head west – Queensland isn’t so “across the board”. There are specific grants available for individuals from the Queensland government for starting up in primary production-based businesses. There are however individual “user chooses” grants available from the government and eligible job seekers may be entitled to Centrelink assistance. Keep an eye on the Queensland grants website as new opportunities roll out regularly.
