As the world starts to feel the first effects of the aging population, Queensland students are entering the health field of study at a prodigious rate. Enrolment in healthcare courses has risen by more than 131 per cent in the period from 2001 to 2016, which is in line with results nationwide, where enrolments in healthcare have increased by approximately 150 per cent over the same period.
The other fields that have grown over the 15-year period are:
Field of study
Percentage
Architecture and building
73.1
Engineering and related technologies
70
Creative Arts
46.2
Natural and physical sciences
43
Management and commerce
11.9
The fields of study that have seen a decrease in enrolments are:
Field of study
Percentage
Information technology
-8.5
Agriculture, environmental and related studies
-37.3
Education
-42.1
Interestingly, despite the increase in STEM coverage and predictions for a tech-dominated employment sector, information technology enrolments have dropped. While at face value it could be interpreted as a decrease in interest or need, it might also suggest a shift in the way courses in other fields are being taught. Given that the need for programming skills has permeated every industry to some extent, it may no longer be necessary to study a general information technology course to learn these skills. Each field has its unique application of computers, AI, AR, VR, and all the old and new inventions that have appeared in the last 15 years. This suggests that undertaking a healthcare course, for example, will inevitably include units around the implementation of technology and how it works, reducing the need for broad knowledge and giving each aspect of digital technology its own industry-specific context.
To find out more about the tertiary landscape in Queensland and the initiatives underway for the future, attend the ACS Seminar on the Gold Coast. We’re pleased to welcome Study Gold Coast and they will speak about where the future of education in the sunshine state is leading.
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