As thousands of school leavers around the nation consider their higher education – and employment – options in light of high school exam results, Torrens University Australia has revealed key study programs in sports management, health, design and hospitality to prepare young Australians for jobs in industries expected to perform well in the years to come, according to leading research.
“At a time when young people are making plans for their professional futures, it’s critical they analyse potential study programs that will lead to genuine, relevant employment opportunities upon graduation,” said Torrens University Australia Vice Chancellor, Professor Justin Beilby.
“All of the programs offered by Torrens University Australia have been meticulously researched to ensure there is strong evidence indicating there will likely be demand for professionals in the industry and its various occupations for many years to come.
“As program providers, we’re compelled to do the same to ensure we’re training the next generation with the hands-on skills and in-depth knowledge to meet employer demands and expectations in fields where we anticipate strong future employment growth and a real need for the skills that are delivered by the program of study,” he said.
According to Professor Beilby, industry sectors set to enjoy employment growth in coming years – which is the starting point from which all Torrens programs are developed – include:
Hospitality
Statistics from the Department of Employment indicate excellent prospects for hotel, conference and event management professionals, with hotel managers already enjoying 16.5% employment growth in the five years to 2015 , while employment numbers in the conference and event management field are predicted to reach 25,400 by 2020, up from 13,500 in 2005. The luxury hotel and serviced apartment sectors have also recorded solid annualised growth on the back of strong demand from foreign tourists, especially Chinese visitors.
“Torrens University Australia has developed a range of hospitality-related programs to target skills gaps in the sector, including the Bachelor of Business (International Event Management) and Bachelor of Business (International Hotel and Resort Management) at the Blue Mountains International Hotel Management School (BMIHMS), and the Bachelor of Business (Event Management) at APM College of Business and Communication,” said Professor Beilby.
“From hotel and resort managers to guest services professionals, event coordinators and conference managers, our hospitality programs offer extensive (and often paid) professional work placements to help our graduates secure those sought-after jobs as soon as they complete their studies – if not before.”
For those already working in the industry, Torrens offers postgraduate programs in International Hotel Management and Global Business Management. The Blue Mountains International Hotel Management School at Torrens University Australia has an enviable reputation in the hospitality industry. Particularly, the School’s industry partnerships lead the field, counting Westin Hotels & Resorts, Four Seasons and Sofitel among its partners. In 2016 (Hannah to confirm) the Career Development team sourced over 750 industry placements for students in Australia and around the world, in part contributing to the School’s superb employability record: 70 per cent secure of BMIHMS students obtain jobs prior to graduation and 95 per cent within three months of graduation.
Sports Management
According to data from business analysts IBISWorld, sports administrative services will enjoy annual jobs growth of 4.7 per cent in the years to 2022, with roles ranging from negotiating broadcast rights and brokering sponsorship deals to managing member services and becoming involved with team management. Similarly, the Department of Employment foresees strong sports-related growth with the number of people working in the amusement, fitness and sports centre management category tipped to double to 18,000 between 2012 and 2020 .
“The Bachelor of Business (Sports Management) at Torrens University Australia teaches students to identify business opportunities for sports organisations, analyse the role of professional sport in society, consider sports’ impact on developing community, and examine the impact of governing bodies on sports regulation,” said Professor Beilby.
“Preparing them for careers in professional sports team management, sports event marketing and management or planning and running high-level sporting facilities.”
For those already working in the industry, Torrens offers a MBA in Sports Administration in partnership with Real Madrid Graduate School – a program that has seen strong uptake from a broad range of existing professionals since it was launched in July 2015.
Health
Covering a broad spectrum ranging from health and welfare services to caring for the ageing and disabled, Professor Beilby suggested there’ll be plenty of scope for employment in health-related professions in the years to come, with qualified students able to contribute to preventing and controlling disease, develop sensitive policies to care for and accommodate our ageing population and those with disabilities.
“With government data predicting health and welfare services professionals will number 23,000 by 2020 (up from 19,000 last year) ; IBISWorld anticipating 4.4 per cent annual growth in the aged care services industry in the five years to 2022, adding more than 20,000 jobs and estimating an exceptional 10.1% annualised growth for the retirement village sector ; and employment in the personal welfare services field (incorporating disability services) tipped to grow 170,000 this year to more than 200,000 by mid-2022 , fuelled partly by growth in the workforce funded by the National Disability Insurance Scheme , it’s clear demand for specialised professionals in these areas will remain high for the foreseeable future,” said Professor Beilby.
“Here at Torrens we’ve developed several targeted programs to equip students to address pressing issues in each of these fields. Our Bachelor of Applied Public Health focuses upon developing and managing public health policy and preventing and controlling disease – essential skills for those interested in working in public health administration, NGOs, private health care providers and overseas aid organisations; while our Bachelor of Human Services (Ageing) and Bachelor of Human Services (Disability) aim to meet the needs of leaders, planners and practitioners in the human services community keen to tackle the challenges of caring for an ageing population and improving the experience of those with a disability.”
For those already working in the industry, Torrens offers postgraduate programs in Public Health and Human Services Management. Torrens University Australia is a member of the peak national organisation representing Public Health in Universities, the Council of Academic Public Health Institutions Australia (CAPHIA). The pioneering Public Health Information Development Unit (PHIDU), which collates and graphically represents health and other lifestyle data, also calls Torrens home, meaning students have access to leading data to use freely in research, study, planning, teaching, policy-making, communications and conversation.
Design
Technology-related design fields are likely to enjoy sustained jobs – and revenue – growth in coming years as we continue to seek fresh ways to harness technology, especially the mobile variety. According to IBISWorld data, Software Publishers will enjoy eight per cent annual revenue growth over the next five years , Computer System Design Services will grow by 3.9 per cent per year , while Smartphone App Developers will experience accelerated growth of 10.6% in the years to 2022 .
“Our Bachelor of Software Engineering (Game Programming) and Bachelor of Creative Technologies (Game Art) programs at Media Design School at Torrens University Australia have been specially developed to equip student with the skills they need to become specialist software engineers and game developers across platforms including online, mobile and console environments,” said Professor Beilby.
“We’ve partnered with Sony Computer Entertainment Europe to enable program students to develop games for the iconic PlayStation®, and to collaborate with fellow programmers and game artists to take commercially viable game concepts from the drawing board through to live prototype stage, demonstrating our unwavering commitment to crafting programs based around hands-on learning and developing students with the real-world skills employers seek – before they graduate,” Professor Beilby added.
For those already working in the industry, Torrens offers postgraduate programs in Design, and UX and Web Design. The Bachelor of Software Engineering (Game Programming) and Bachelor of Creative Technologies (Game Art) programs at Media Design School at Torrens University Australia have been developed in conjunction with New Zealand’s most awarded provider of digital and creative technology programs of study. Media Design School gained additional international recognition in 2016 when the school was ranked by The Rookies as the world’s top tertiary provider for both Graphic Design and Photography by a panel of internationally renowned judges, beating 479 other schools from 77 countries for these top honours.