Education
Age by Industry
Age by Occupation
Age by Education
Age by Working Arrangements
Age by Industry Trends
Age by Industry
The Education industry has the second largest concentration of older workers when compared to other industries. The average age (mean) of the Education industry is 42.1 years. The largest proportion of workers are in the 45 to 49 year age group (17.1 per cent), followed by 40 to 44 years (16.8 per cent).
AGE BY INDUSTRY
Education
Age grouping
ABS (2001) Labour Force Australia
Year 2014 projections of the age profile of the Education industry against the age profile of the population in ten years time, shows that there could be considerable variation between these two profiles. Most noticeable is at 45 to 55 years, where there is a huge proportional concentration of workers, compared to the Australian population.
Education
Workforce Population Age Profile Year 2004
Age by Occupation
The oldest employees within Education are Intermediate Production and Transport
Workers, aged 49.8 years on average and Labourers and Related Workers, whose
average age is 49.4 years. The youngest groups are Trade persons and Related
Workers, aged 39.3 years.
AGE BY OCCUPATION
Education
Occupation
ABS (2001) Labour Force Australia
Age by Education
The level and currency of post-secondary qualifications held by workers within Education demonstrates the ability of the industry to sustain its productivity into the future. Overall the industry has a high level of workers with post-secondary qualifications, with almost 4 out of every 5 workers having certificate level or higher qualifications. Over one-third of workers have a bachelor degree, although 10 per cent more people aged 15 to 44 years have attained this qualification compared to people aged 45 years and over. Despite the high proportion of workers with post-secondary qualifications, over two-thirds of workers have not studied in the last decade. Younger people held much more recent qualifications than older people. Since 1998, 28.3 per cent of workers aged between 15 and 44 years have studied for a post secondary qualification, compared to 8.8 per cent of people aged 45 years and over.
| Highest Qualification | 15 to 44yrs | 45yrs and over | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Postgraduate Degree Level | 8.5% | 12.4% | 10.2% |
| Graduate Diploma and Graduate Certificate Level | 9.3% | 10.9% | 10.0% |
| Bachelor Degree Level | 39.6% | 29.4% | 35.1% |
| Advanced Diploma and Diploma Level | 11.2% | 16.6% | 13.6% |
| Certificate Level | 7.9% | 7.3% | 7.7% |
| No Post-secondary Education | 20.2% | 19.3% | 19.8% |
| Other | 3.3% | 4.0% | 3.6% |
| Total | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% |
| Year completed qualification | 15 to 44yrs | 45yrs and over | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Before 1971 | 16.8% | 7.5% | |
| 1971-1980 | 9.3% | 34.5% | 20.5% |
| 1981-1985 | 11.4% | 12.0% | 11.6% |
| 1986-1990 | 14.6% | 10.0% | 12.6% |
| 1991-1995 | 24.0% | 13.0% | 19.1% |
| 1996-1997 | 12.3% | 4.8% | 9.0% |
| 1998-1999 | 16.3% | 5.5% | 11.5% |
| 2000-2001 | 12.0% | 3.3% | 8.1% |
| Total | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% |
Age by Working Arrangements
The working arrangements of employees within Education are highly variable, with only 16.3 per cent of workers employed on a standard 40 hour week basis. A significant proportion of workers in this industry are employed for more than 40 hours a week (28 per cent). There are a significantly higher proportion of workers aged 45 years and over, who work more than 40 hours a week (31.4 per cent), compared to 25.2 per cent of younger workers. Working beyond the standard 40 hour week, raises questions about the sustainability of workers these as they age.
Table: Weekly Hours Worked by Age
| Year completed qualification | 15 to 44yrs | 45yrs and over | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-15 hours | 15.4% | 11.3% | 13.6% |
| 16-24 hours | 12.0% | 10.1% | 11.2% |
| 25-34 hours | 13.8% | 14.9% | 14.3% |
| 35-39 hours | 17.2% | 16.1% | 16.7% |
| 40 hours | 16.4% | 16.2% | 16.3% |
| 41-48 hours | 11.6% | 11.7% | 11.6% |
| 49 or more hours | 13.6% | 19.7% | 16.3% |
| Total | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% |
Age by Industry Trends
The ageing workforce has implications for the provision of education and training and the relative demand for entry-level training compared to the demand for education and training related to up-skilling and retraining. Interest in training is high amongst older people providing the Education sector with a great opportunity to expand student numbers . The primary reasons older people want to participate in education and training is to get into a new area of work, to update their existing skills or for personal interest. Computer skills are particularly important for older people and are a significant competency gap. Factors that will facilitate a growth in demand for education and training by older people is:
- centralised access to up-to-date, localised career and training information and advice
- assistance with identifying appropriate areas for employment growth
- advertising and marketing designed to attract older people
- availability of appropriate programs and services to meet the needs of older people.
The education sector must also address it’s ageing workforce by looking at ways to attract new young people into the sector; retain and up-skill the current workforce; as well as look at ways to provide flexible work options for people across their working life, so that they can remain engaged in the sector, while meeting their external goals and responsibilities.
