Data on internet job postings gives new insights into the skills employers want, according to a report released today by the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER).
The report Internet job postings: preliminary skills analysis, accompanied by three case study examples, demonstrates how valuable this near real-time data source can be and the possibilities it offers to inform policy and practice in the vocational education and training (VET) sector.
“This analysis of online job postings data complements NCVER’s existing data collections by offering insight on what jobs and skills are the most sought after in the Australian labour market,” said Dr Mette Creaser, National Manager Statistics and Analytics, NCVER.
“While sources such as the Labour Force Survey and Census of Population and Housing collect extensive information on the labour market, they do not collect information on unmet demand or the skills employers are requesting.
“When used with other sources of information, this new data could help governments prioritise training, support industry experts in reviewing and updating training packages, and students in gaining employer-valued skills," Dr Creaser said.
Three case studies are included with the report. Internet job postings: employability skills looks at how often particular skills are requested across different occupations and industries, and shows that communication skills are by far the most requested skill across all job postings.
Internet job postings: trending and emerging skills looks at the trending and emerging skills requested across different occupations and industries. These skills are not necessarily new, but are an indication of what employers are increasingly looking for.
Internet job postings: personal care and support skills shows that the relevant qualification (the Certificate III in Individual Support) covers most of the top specialised skills requested by employers for personal care assistants and aged or disabled carers in 2017.
“While this data provides useful information on the skills employers are looking for, it should be interpreted carefully and in conjunction with other sources of information to provide a more complete picture with which to develop policy and practice,” Dr Creaser said.
The suite of research products on Internet job postings is available from www.ncver.edu.au/publications.
This data is collected from online job postings by Burning Glass Technologies and is accessed under licence. If you have any feedback on these products or on the usefulness of the data, please contact Dr Patrick Korbel on (08) 8230 8459 or patrick.korbel@ncver.edu.au.
This work has been produced by NCVER on behalf of the Australian Government and state and territory governments, with funding provided through the Australian Government Department of Education and Training.
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