THE BIG PICTURE OF HEALTH INDUSTRY
JOB growth extends beyond hospital walls. Melanie Burgess reports
THE health sector is booming but nurses and doctors are not the only workers forecast to benefit. Those that indirectly support the sector — such as in sales and medical technology — are also set for increasing demand.
SEEK research reveals the healthcare and medical industry was among the fastest growing in 2017 with job opportunities increasing by 11.1 per cent. About 14,000 new roles were advertised during the year.
Physiotherapy, occupational therapy and rehabilitation roles grew the strongest, with advertisements up 2.1 per cent — followed by psychology, counselling and social work roles (1.9 per cent), aged care nursing roles (1.6 per cent) and general practitioner roles (0.8 per cent).
Dan Hobson, director of Hobson Health Recruitment, says the ageing population is having a huge effect on the healthcare system.
“It’s not only aged care facilities that are experiencing growth,” he says. “More people are choosing to age at home and this means they are accessing community healthcare.”
He says as people are living longer, they are more focused on living well and this may also be contributing to demand for ancillary health services, such as physiotherapy, occupational therapy and rehabilitation.
The knock-on effects of health services demand can be felt in areas ranging from science to sales.
Federal Government figures forecast 1100 more medical laboratory scientists and 1300 more pharmacy sales assistants will be needed in the five years to May, 2022.
Stryker South Pacific and APAC Medical senior director of human resources Erin Cramlet says employment growth extends to medical technology companies.
“As an industry, we have been seeing this gowth for many years and we don’t expect it to slow down any time soon,” she says.
Stryker’s sales and clinical consulting staff are from a variety of backgrounds, including physiotherapy, engineering and athletics.
“We train our people on our products and the industry to ensure they are set up for success,” Cramlet says.
“You don’t need to have a specific background. You just need to be passionate about being part of a team that improves lives.”