The job market’s future face

"I've got no idea what I want to do" seems to be the catch cry for many in New Zealand when it comes to finding a job or choosing a career path. However, we are in the age where we can go and do anything at all.

However there are a number of sectors which will see growth in the coming years and maybe that could be your best option to securing a career path you enjoy and make the kind of money you always desired.

Director of Strategic Pay and former president of the Human Resources Institute of New Zealand, Geoff Summers says there are a number of areas, which will see growth.

Care workers
With the country's ageing population many of those in the baby boomer generation are looking at retiring in the near future and will require care. Summers points out that there are larger companies than ever before getting involved with the age care sector, and they will require carers. "I think the market reacts to our ageing population. I think the baby boomers have been better off than the generation before and baby boomers are helping look after their parents with age care."

Primary sector
We see starving children on the television screen on a daily basis, and the United Nations has come out and said there is a global shortage of food and it's set to get worse in the future.

Summers says our primary sector could blossom as we have the perfect environment to grow and supply food. He points out there is a current trend of children leaving their parents' farms to follow other careers however, there will be significant future demand for primary sector workers.

"Food shortages are a big thing right now and into the future. Food production has got to be one of the occupations that New Zealanders have to get right into."

He believes there will a trend from farmers owning their own farms, to farmers working for big corporations who own the farms. "This will become the landscape in the future."

Technology
Technology is ever evolving and we will need bright, young people to keep up with general technical developments that now impact most businesses and industry sectors. Summers points out that a lot of money is spent in this area and the likes of gaming is becoming ever more popular. He is seeing a trend of young, smart people starting up their own companies focused on future technology.

"The top people in this industry demand good wages and if I had kids I'd encourage them into this sector," Summers says. "There are some very fancy computer development languages which will require people to learn about."

Communications
With the advancement of technology, it makes doing business easier and faster however, there can be pitfalls to using technology. Summers thinks there will be a great need for people with communications backgrounds regarding the electronics behind the technology. "The downside to using technology is the wrongful use of it and this is where communications people are going to be in high demand, especially by the likes of Governments, because the communication security and national security can be compromised."

Law
Love them or loath them, lawyers have become an important part of business and everyday life. The majority of business people won't do something before consulting a business lawyer, people don't buy houses without legal consultation and if you find yourself embroiled in any significant employment, financial or legal conflict, then guess where your first point of call is?

Summers says there has been huge growth within the legal sector and he believes this is set to continue into the future. "Back in the day you could go to the labour court without a lawyer to deal with an employment relations dispute. These days everyone consults lawyers for different things. Copyright law is going to be huge, especially with the internet and people downloading things. The legalities behind that can sometimes be quite complex."

Trades
The Government scraped the apprenticeship scheme 10 years ago however, there seems to be a bit of a renaissance of the apprentice. Summers says there will always be a need for trades people, whether it's building, electrician or plumber. With these professions you can do an apprenticeship, learning skills and qualifications on the job, while earning money. Experienced trades people can get paid very well and of course there always exists the opportunity to start your own business.

Hospitality and Tourism
With the Rugby World Cup just around the corner and the new Hobbit films being shot in New Zealand, the tourism and hospitality sector will need talented people. Summers says tourism is a hugely important entity for New Zealand's future and says the Prime Minister is the Minster for Tourism, which means the Government is serious about the sector.

"Tourism and hospitality is not just one set of occupations. There's a whole raft, from people behind the bar or cleaning the hotel rooms through to the jet pilots who bring people here."