Health, STEM, hospitality and education jobs are predicted to boom in the next five years, according to government projections.

Population growth, an ageing population and increasing digitisation have all contributed to the predicted rise in job numbers.

Of the four industries, health and social assistance is leading the way. In the five years to November 2021, the sector grew by 21.8 per cent, and in the five years to 2026 it will rise by a further 14.2 per cent.

The National Skills Commission’s latest Employment Outlook report highlights the importance of job growth across the four Cs: Care, computing, cognitive ability and communication.

Aged and disabled carer jobs are set to account for the largest growth in the health care industry with a projected increase of 74,900 jobs in the five years to 2026.

Baby boomers are set to drive much of the future demand for health care, said business futurist Morris Misel.

“The reality around health care is we’re an ageing society, but more importantly we’re a baby boomer ageing society that’s going to age disgracefully,” he said.

“By that I mean our predecessors kind of looked at ageing as a diminishing thing where you needed less and demanded less of everything, you waited for God to tap you on the shoulder and you were passive.

“But baby boomers are going to be extremely active. There’s no way they’re going to wait for God to tap them on the shoulder. They will spend every cent trying to outrun him.”

Baby boomers will drive demand for more healthy jobs: business futurist Morris Misel.

Jobs in professional, scientific and technical services industry comes second in the predicted jobs boom with roles expected to increase by 206,600 in the years to 2026.

Of the largest employing occupations in the industry, software and application programmers are projected to record the largest growth, followed by management and organisation analysts, solicitors, accountants and information and communication technology managers.

Jobs in education and training are forecast to increase by 149,600 by 2026, as international students return to Australia in the wake of the COVID pandemic.

This demand will be complemented by a growing demand for adult education, said Misel.

“What we all know is that we need to constantly upskill ourselves because the notion of having one set of skills for life makes little sense to most people,” he said.

“We’ll have the growth of onsite, on-time, online micro credentialing and a whole lot of new professions in that space and a whole lot of new ways to provide it.”

Hospitality jobs will surge as the industry makes a comeback from COVID with 112,400 new jobs predicted to emerge by 2026. The greatest demand will be for cafe and restaurant managers, chefs and fast-food cooks.

Careers coach Renée Giarrusso said it was never too late for workers to switch industries.

Carry your skills over to another industry: careers coach Renée Giarrusso

“I’m seeing a lot of people do it for different reasons – whether their industry’s dying or they’re not feeling it’s a fit anymore,” she said.

“It makes sense to be part of an industry that’s innovating, that’s in growth and that’s staying relevant.

“And it’s a great time to try something new if you’ve been thinking about switching industries.”

Those who want to work in a different industry are most likely have skills they can carry over to a new job, Giarrusso said workers.

“Don’t underestimate those transferable skills,” she said.

“Have an open mind because I think when you’re in one industry for a long time you can think it’s an industry-specific skill when it’s not.”