44 Jobs of the Future

The creators of 1989’s Back to the Future II predicted we would be riding around on hoverboards by the year 2015. And – they were not too far off! Marty McFly would be proud of our efforts to defy gravity by adding jets, wheels, and motors to almost anything (Google ‘jetpack’ for a visual).

In reality though, if the past two years have shown us anything, it’s that none of us know what the future holds. And as the world changes around us, it can be daunting for parents to consider what might await our children down the track.

It is also exciting to think about the opportunities they will encounter, and where they might find their passion. Technology has changed life as we know it, and it has also served up a bevy of new career prospects for the savvy kids of generations Z and Alpha.

So how do we encourage our children’s hopes and dreams, and help them on their way when their future job may not even exist yet? Experts say there are still ways to help children discover their passions.

The people of Generation Z were born in the mid to late 1990s while Generation Alpha encompasses children born since 2010. Cranfield University’s Professor Joe Nellis predicts Generation Alpha “will be the wealthiest, most intensely educated and most dynamic generation that human society has yet seen”. “When it gets to the stage of making choices, Gen Alpha won’t be looking for a broad education anymore, a strict curriculum to follow, or generalist qualifications. They will be looking to train as specialists, going far deeper into particular topic areas and niches,” he said.

Meanwhile, according to the Australian Government’s Job Outlook career tool, there is likely to be strong demand in already-existing industries where employment has boomed in recent years due to technological advancements and the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

These industries include:

• Healthcare and social assistance
• Professional, scientific and technical services
• Education and training
• Construction

With all of this in mind, here’s a list of 44 careers to consider, both in the near future and further down the track. 

Environment 

1. Flood Control Engineer – Assisting with water management strategies in light of rising sea levels and extreme weather.
2. Digital Apiarist – Building and collecting data on beehives to support agriculture and plant life.
3. De-extinction Geneticist – Restoring extinct animal and plant species to rebalance ecosystems.
4. Rewilders – Replacing roads with forests and reintroducing native species.
5. Bio-jacker – Undertaking precision genome editing of plants and animals, including humans.

Agriculture

1. Cricket Farmer – Monitoring and breeding crickets for high-protein food production.
2. Farm Safety Advisor – Reducing farm accidents and injuries.
3. Agroecological Farmer – Growing crops while restoring agricultural balance.
4. Vertical Farmer – Farming on rooftops and inside purpose-built skyscrapers.

People

1. School Teacher / Education Aide – The number of school-aged children is growing, and there’s demand for adult and community education.
2. Aesthetician – Helping people enhance their appearance using biochemistry and fashion technology.
3. 100-year Counsellor – Assisting people to have a productive and fulfilling life.
4. AI Educator – Helping people make the most of artificial intelligence, including learning how to work with robots.
5. Local Community Coordinator – Organising activities to help communities come together.
6. Displaced Persons Re-integrator – Supporting people who have been displaced from their communities to settle into their new lives.
7. Local Experiences Guide – Offering “in-destination” experiences to travellers.
8. Behaviour Prediction Analyst – Predicting behaviour based on data and algorithms.

Health

1. Aged, Disabled, and Child Carers / Registered Nurses / Welfare support workers – Investments in hospitals and the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) means there is a growing demand for aged care, childcare and home-care based services.
2. Virtual Surgeon – Performing surgery using robotics and virtual technologies.
3. Health Shaper – Building health solutions customised to clients’ lives.
4. Genetics Coach – Helping people understand their genetic profiles and the impact of genes on their health.
5. End of Life Counsellor – Offering therapy when technology enables us to know how long we will live.

Urban

1. Net Positive Architect – Designing solutions to create responsible commercial buildings or houses.
2. Sustainable Energy Solutions Engineer – Designing storage, transport and use systems that are sustainable and safe.
3. Trades Workers – Trades workers are vital to construction, with apprenticeships and traineeships the main entry pathway.

Technology 

1. Bioprinting Engineer – Creating viable tissue for human implants.
2. Ethical Hacker – Identifying weaknesses in cybersecurity systems to find and fix potential security risks.
3. Satellite Network Maintenance Engineer – Keeping the global wireless satellite network functioning.
4. Robotics Technician / Self-driving Car Mechanic – Maintaining robots and autonomous vehicles.
5. Space Captain / Space Tour Guide – Leading real-life tours across the solar system
6. Remote Drone Divers / Pilots – Delivering items remotely.
7. Drone Airspace Regulator – Developing road rules for the sky.
8. Virtual Reality Programmer – Designing virtual experiences for healthcare, marketing or entertainment.
9. Multi-sensory Experience Designer – Bringing together technologies to create fully immersive games, leisure activities, marketing campaigns and education.

Business

1. Community Farm Finance Broker – Connecting farmers with individuals who wish to invest in their own food production.
2. Fusionist – Bringing together professionals from art, engineering, research, science and other disciplines to create innovative ideas and solutions.
3. Personalist Marketer – Implementing marketing strategies where content is tailored to an individual person.

Data

1. Software Programmers – Designing and developing program code.
2. Management and Organisation Analysts – Helping organisations achieve greater efficiency and solving problems.
3. Accountants – Providing services relating to taxation, auditing, insolvency, budgeting and cost management.
4. Data Privacy Strategist – Designing solutions to protect people’s data.
5. Freelance Virtual Clutter Organiser – Helping to manage a person’s virtual clutter.
6. Data Waste Recyclers – Receiving data recommended for deletion and reviewing it to see if it can be recycled.
7. Media Remixer – Combining a variety of media from across time to create one-of-a-kind experiences.

What Advice Should I Offer my Child?

We all want our children to thrive throughout their career however, most parents value their child’s happiness more than anything else. The age-old adage “Do what you love, and you will never work a day in your life” still rings true, even if the job prospects nowadays look a little different than in the past. A great way for our children to identify jobs they might enjoy is to think about the tasks they like doing and how they like to work.

Are your children:
Practical
Analytical
Creative
Helping
Enterprising
Administrative

Secondary schools have career counsellors on staff who can provide expert advice about which industries and roles may suit your child. Job Outlook also offers an online career quiz to help your child identify what kinds of work they may be good at or enjoy doing. 

Further details about many of these careers can also be found at www.100jobsofthefuture.com. You can also visit www.joboutlook.gov.au for more information.