Labour Market Research Health Professions 1 Australia

Transcription

1 ISSN: Labour Market Research Health Professions 1 Australia Medical Laboratory Scientist No Shortage There are large fields of qualified applicants Medical Diagnostic Radiographer Recruitment Difficulty in some locations where training is not available Medical Radiation Therapist No Shortage All surveyed vacancies were readily filled Sonographer Shortage Shortages have been long standing, applicant numbers are low Optometrist ,13 Hospital and Retail Pharmacist Dentist Occupational Therapist Shortage Higher training numbers may address the shortage over the next few years No Shortage Some graduates experience difficulty gaining employment No Shortage Advertised vacancies generally attract large fields of qualified applicants No Shortage Strong growth is expected but shortages have not been evident for some years Physiotherapist Podiatrist Audiologist Speech Pathologist Recruitment Difficulty for smaller states and the territories and for aged and disability care No Shortage Vacancies are readily filled Shortage Recruitment is very difficult, especially in regional areas No Shortage There are large fields of qualified applicants There were significant and widespread shortages of health professionals in the decade to 28-9, but the labour market has eased (mainly on the back of increased training) and widespread national shortages are no longer evident. Nationally, shortages are limited to a small number of occupations (sonographers, optometrists and audiologists). Appendix A provides detailed ratings for individual occupations. o That said, employers in some regional locations (particularly in Queensland), and those recruiting for sectors such as aged care, sometimes have difficulty attracting workers who have appropriate skills and experience. Employment of health professionals is increasing strongly, but there has also been a large increase in training numbers over recent years which has boosted the available supply of these workers. There is now some surplus capacity, particularly at the new graduate level. o A number of contacts commented on the high number of recent graduates applying for vacancies requiring experienced workers. o Graduate outcomes data 2 suggest that graduates are finding it more difficult to gain full-time work. 1 For the purposes of this report, health professions refers to the following ANZSCO codes: Medical Laboratory Scientist ( ), Medical Diagnostic Radiographer ( ), Medical Radiation Therapist ( ), Sonographer ( ), Optometrist ( ), Hospital and Retail Pharmacist ( ,13), Dentist ( ), Occupational Therapist ( ), Physiotherapist ( ), Podiatrist ( ), Audiologist ( ) and Speech Pathologist ( ). The research is for these occupations and was undertaken in early 215. Throughout the report, where detailed data are not available, the broader data used may include some occupations which are not assessed in the research programme. See Appendix C for further details. 2 Graduate Careers Australia, Graduate Destinations Survey 214, customised table Department of Employment Page 1

2 Figure 1. Proportion of Health Professions in shortage, 27-8 to (%) 1% Shortage Recruitment Difficulty Not in Shortage 8% 6% 4% 2% % Source: Department of Employment, Skill shortage research Demand for health professionals is expected to remain strong as the Australian population ages, services become more accessible (including through initiatives such as the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS)) and medical technology expands health care options. o Rising numbers of training commencements in recent years, though, suggest there will also continue to be higher completions in the next few years. Significant shortages are not expected to re-emerge in the short term and industry contacts have raised concerns about the job prospects of future graduates. Survey results The labour market for health professions is generally adequately supplied with qualified workers, and employers experience little difficulty recruiting for most of these professions. o After a steady rise in the proportion of vacancies filled between 27-8 and , employers success in filling their vacancies has flattened, with between 7 and 75 per cent filled in recent years. Figure 2. Proportion of vacancies filled (%), average number of applicants and suitable applicants per vacancy (no.), Health Professions, Australia, 27-8 to (%) Applicants per vacancy - RHS Suitable applicants per vacancy - RHS Proportion of vacancies filled - LHS % 3. 54% % % % 7% Source: Department of Employment, Survey of Employers who have Recently Advertised (occupation coverage varies over the time series) % 71% (no.) Department of Employment Page 2

3 The number of applicants per vacancy increased threefold between 27-8 and , but there was little change between and o In , there were 9.4 applicants per vacancy, of whom 7.7 were qualified and 2.9 were considered to be suitable (Figure 2). The labour market has eased considerably from 27-8, when around half of surveyed vacancies were filled and there were significantly smaller candidate fields. Regional differences Employers in regional areas experience greater difficulty filling their vacancies than their metropolitan counterparts. Despite this, they generally have the choice of multiple suitable applicants (Appendix A). o In , 61 per cent of surveyed regional vacancies were filled, compared with 77 per cent in metropolitan areas. o Regional employers also attract smaller fields of applicants (6.3 applicants per vacancy, on average, compared with 11.2) and suitable applicants (2.3 compared with 3.2). Employers in most states recruited with ease in (Figure 3). o Tasmanian, Northern Territory and Australian Capital Territory employers experienced the greatest difficulty filling their vacancies (potentially due to the lack of training available in these areas for some health professions). Over the year to , recruitment became easier for employers in Western Australia, South Australia, the Northern Territory and Victoria (Appendix A). Figure 3. Proportion of vacancies filled (%), average number of applicants and suitable applicants per vacancy by state and territory (no.), Health Professions, Source: Department of Employment, Survey of Employers who have Recently Advertised Occupational differences (%) Applicants per vacancy - RHS Suitable applicants per vacancy - RHS Proportion of vacancies filled - LHS 3 74% 82% 73% % % Employers recruiting for medical radiation therapists, speech pathologists and podiatrists filled more than 9 per cent of their surveyed vacancies. There were particularly large fields of applicants, qualified applicants and suitable applicants for medical laboratory scientist and dentist vacancies (Appendix A). 52% 54% 54% NSW VIC QLD SA WA TAS NT ACT Australia 71% (no.) Department of Employment Page 3

4 Employers recruiting for sonographers, optometrists and audiologists experienced the greatest difficulty filling their vacancies, and were the only occupations found to be in shortage. Figure 4. Proportion of vacancies filled (%), average number of applicants and suitable applicants per vacancy by occupation (no.), Health Professions, Australia, (%) Applicants per vacancy - RHS Suitable applicants per vacancy - RHS Proportion of vacancies filled - LHS 1% 87% 93% 9% 82% 85% 77% % % 47% % 38% (no.) Source: Department of Employment, Survey of Employers who have Recently Advertised Reasons applicants were unsuitable Surveyed health professions required applicants to be formally qualified. There were, on average, 7.7 qualified applicants per vacancy, of whom 4.5 were considered to be unsuitable by employers. The most commonly cited reasons for qualified applicants being unsuitable were o insufficient experience (this is the case for all but entry level roles and is particularly evident for senior or supervisory roles) o lack of experience in a particular specialisation o not having membership or registration with the relevant professional body o lack of technical skills o poor applications, references or performance at interview o poor communication skills o lack of management experience for senior roles. Many of the unsuitable applicants were new graduates who require support and mentoring that employers often feel unable to provide. Department of Employment Page 4

5 (') Demand and Supply Figure 5: Demand and supply summary Graduates 744 domestic undergraduate students completed a health profession degree in 213 Undergraduate completions increased by 42.5% over the five years to % of health profession graduates found full-time work in 214 Labour Market (May 215) 159,7 employed 7% work full-time Immigration In 214, 465 health profession 457 visas were granted (down from 56 in 213) 82 settlers self-identified these occupations when arriving in 214 Recent growth Employment increased by 18.7% or 25,1 over the five years to May 215 Growth has been much stronger than the all occupation average (7.2%) Source: Various sources. As detailed data for the health professions are not available, broader data have been used which include some occupations not assessed in the research programme. See Appendix C for further details. Employment In May 215, there were 159,7 health professionals 3 employed in Australia, up by 18.7 per cent or 25,1 compared with May 21 (Figure 6) 4. o Health professionals was the eighth strongest growing occupational group over this period. Around 7 per cent of these professionals work full-time 5. Figure 6. Employment, Health Professions, May 1995 to May 215 (') Job opportunities Employment is projected to rise by 2.6% to 197,1 in November 219, well above the all occupation average Turnover is relatively low (7.%), but there are large numbers of job openings from replacement demand due to the large employment size Source: ABS, Labour Force, May 215, Department of Employment trend 3 As detailed data for the health professions are not available, broader data have been used which include some occupations not assessed in the research programme. See Appendix C for further details. 4 ABS, Labour Force, May 215, Department of Employment trend 5 ABS, Labour Force, annual average 214 Department of Employment Page 5

6 Professional registration A number of health professionals are required to maintain registration with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA). The number of registered professionals increased for all assessed occupations over the year to March In March 215, AHPRA registrations numbered o 11,414 diagnostic radiographers (up from 11,24 in March 214) o 2312 radiation therapists (up from 2245) o 497 optometrists (up from 4781) o 28,95 pharmacists (up from 28,188) o 15,853 dentists (up from 15,569) o 17,47 occupational therapists (up from 16,84) o 27,36 physiotherapists (up from 25,915) o 4372 podiatrists (up from 418). Sonographers are required to be accredited by the Australasian Sonographer Accreditation Registry. There were around 514 qualified and active sonographers in March 215 (compared with 488 in March 214) 7. Speech pathology is a self-regulated profession, with most employers requiring applicants to have membership with Speech Pathology Australia (SPA). Employers recruiting for audiologists required applicants to have a Qualified Practitioner number issued by the Department of Health, a Certificate of Clinical Practice (CCP) and membership with Audiology Australia or the Australian College of Audiology. Vacancy levels Internet vacancy levels for the health professions are at a high level relative to those for all occupations and all professionals (Figure 7). Figure 7. Advertised Vacancies, Health Professions, All Professionals and All Occupations, June 26 to June 215 (indexed) Health Professions All Professionals All Occupations Source: Department of Employment, Internet Vacancy Index, trend (January 26 = 1) 6 AHPRA (various boards), Registrant data, March 214 and March 215, all registration types 7 Australasian Sonographer Accreditation Registry, March 215, customised data, estimates Department of Employment Page 6

7 Training Growth in the number of domestic students studying in courses directly related to the health professions 8 has been significant in recent years. Higher education data show there has been a strong increase in both commencements and completions (undergraduate and postgraduate) for the health professions between 28 and 213 (Figure 8). 9 o Commencements increased by 43.2 per cent (or 456) to 15,1. The strongest growth was for postgraduate study, up by 67.1 per cent (or 146) to 364. o Completions increased by 49.1 per cent (or 339) to 1,28 with the strongest growth being for postgraduate courses, up by 69.5 per cent (or 117) to 284. Figure 8. Higher education commencements and completions, Health, 28 to 213 (no.) Undergraduate Postgraduate Commencements Completions Source: Department of Education and Training, Higher Education Statistic Data Cube, 213, domestic students Growth in training numbers was evident across all the Health professions over the five years to 213 (Figure 9). 1 o The strongest growth in commencements was for speech pathology (up by 94.2 per cent or 58), followed by physiotherapy (up by 59.3 per cent or 89). o Medical science experienced the strongest growth in completions over the period (up by 84.3 per cent or 1,37) followed by speech pathology (up by 78.6 per cent or 33). 8 Includes those fields of training directly related to the health professions. See Appendix C for more information. 9 Department of Education and Training, Higher Education Student Data Collection, 213, customised table, domestic students 1 ibid Department of Employment Page 7

8 Medical Science Physiotherapy Pharmacy Occupational Therapy Radiography Speech Pathology Dentistry Optometry Podiatry Audiology Medical Science Physiotherapy Pharmacy Occupational Therapy Radiography Speech Pathology Dentistry Optometry Podiatry Audiology Figure 9. Higher education commencements and completions, Health by field of education, 28 and 213 (no.) Commencements Completions Source: Department of Education and Training, Higher Education Student Data Collection, 213, domestic students Graduate outcomes Bachelor degree graduate outcomes have fallen sharply in recent years. 11 o Between 29 and 214, employment outcomes for bachelor degree graduates from courses directly related to the health professions 12 fell by 11.8 percentage points to 78.5 per cent. There were falls in bachelor degree graduate outcomes for almost all fields of education which supply occupations in this cluster between 29 and 214 (Figure 1). o The largest fall in graduate outcomes was for speech pathology graduates, down by 32.7 percentage points to 56.7 per cent in full-time employment. o The smallest fall was for optometry graduates, with 95.7 per cent in full-time employment four months after graduation, down from 98.6 per cent (this, in part, reflects the need for a registration year, which the industry generally provides). o Graduate outcomes in the field of physiotherapy increased slightly, up by.4 percentage points to 94.3 per cent in full-time employment. o In 29, only one health field had bachelor degree outcomes lower than the all fields average (medical science). In 214, there were three fields with below average outcomes (occupational therapy, medical science and speech pathology). 11 Graduate Careers Australia, Graduate Destinations Survey 214, customised table. Outcomes refer to the proportion of bachelor degree graduates who were available for full-time employment and were in full-time employment four months after the completion of their qualification. Employment outcomes in a number of health professions are influenced by the requirement to undertake an internship for registration which may inflate the number employed full-time compared with other occupations. 12 Includes those fields of training directly related to the health professions. See Appendix C for more information. Department of Employment Page 8

9 Figure 1. Bachelor degree graduate outcomes, Health profession fields of education, 29 and 214 (%) 1% 9% 8% 7% 6% 5% 4% 3% 2% 1% % Source: Graduate Careers Australia, Graduate Destinations Survey Note: Percentages relate to the proportion of domestic bachelor degree graduates in full-time employment four months after graduating Future demand Employment of health professionals 13 is projected to grow by 2.6 per cent over the five years to number 197,1 in November 219. o The strongest growth is expected for occupational therapists (up by 36.6 per cent or 47). o The largest growth is projected for pharmacists (up by 54 or 16.1 per cent). o No occupation is expected to experience a fall in employment, although medical laboratory scientist is projected to have below average growth (7.7 per cent compared with the all occupations average of 1. per cent and the all professionals average of 14.2 per cent). Turnover is relatively low (7. per cent, compared with the all occupations average of 11.4 per cent) but the number of job openings from replacement demand is still relatively high 14. Demand for health professionals is expected to remain strong due to the ageing population, increasing accessibility to health care services, the roll out of the NDIS beyond the seven trial sites in place at 3 June and developments in medical technology expanding health care options. Publicly funded initiatives will continue to affect the demand for the health workforce. 13 Department of Employment, Employment Projections to November 219. As detailed data for the health professions are not available, broader data have been used which include some occupations not assessed in the research programme. See Appendix C for further details. 14 ABS, Labour Mobility, National Disability Insurance Agency, Quarterly Report to COAG Disability Reform Council, 3 June 215 Department of Employment Page 9

10 State and territory skill shortage rating by occupation, APPENDIX A Occupation Australia NSW VIC QLD SA WA TAS NT ACT Medical Laboratory Scientist* NS Medical Diagnostic Radiographer D NS R; M-D R NS NS S S NS Medical Radiation Therapist* NS Sonographer S S S S S S S S S Optometrist S S R R S NS S S S ,13 Hospital and Retail Pharmacist NS NS NS R NS R-D D NS NS Dentist* NS Occupational Therapist NS NS NS NS NS NS S S NS Physiotherapist D D NS D NS R-D S S S Podiatrist* NS Audiologist* S Speech Pathologist* NS Source: Department of Employment, Skill shortage research Key to ratings S National shortage M Shortage in metropolitan areas R Shortage in regional areas D Recruitment difficulty R-D Recruitment difficulty in regional areas M-D Recruitment difficulty in metropolitan areas * Occupation was assessed for Australia as a whole, state rating is not available Department of Employment Page 1

11 Proportion of vacancies filled (%), average number of applicants and suitable applicants per vacancy (no.), Health Professions by location, and Proportion of vacancies filled (%) Average number of applicants per vacancy Average number of suitable applicants per vacancy Metropolitan Regional Australia Source: Department of Employment, Survey of Employers who have Recently Advertised Proportion of vacancies filled (%), average number of applicants and suitable applicants per vacancy (no.), Health Professions by state and territory, and Proportion of vacancies filled (%) Average number of applicants per vacancy Average number of suitable applicants per vacancy New South Wales Victoria Queensland South Australia Western Australia Tasmania Northern Territory Australian Capital Territory Australia Source: Department of Employment, Survey of Employers who have Recently Advertised Department of Employment Page 11

12 Proportion of vacancies filled (%), average number of applicants, qualified applicants and suitable applicants per vacancy (no.), Health Professions by Occupation, and Occupation Proportion of vacancies filled (%) Average number of applicants per vacancy Average number of qualified applicants per vacancy Average number of suitable applicants per vacancy Medical Laboratory Scientist Medical Diagnostic Radiographer Medical Radiation Therapist Sonographer Optometrist n/a 47 n/a 2.9 n/a 2.1 n/a ,13 Hospital/Retail Pharmacist Dentist Occupational Therapist Physiotherapist Podiatrist n/a 9 n/a 4.2 n/a 4.2 n/a Audiologist n/a 38 n/a 2.1 n/a 2.1 n/a Speech Pathologist Health Professionals Source: Department of Employment, Survey of Employers who have Recently Advertised Department of Employment Page 12

13 APPENDIX B Employment, selected Health Professions and All Occupations Employment Employment change, five years to May 215 Projected employment change, five years to November 219 (') (') % (') % 2346 Medical Laboratory Scientists Medical Imaging Professionals Optometrists and Orthoptists Pharmacists Dental Practitioners Occupational Therapists Physiotherapists Podiatrists Speech Professionals and Audiologists All Occupations 11, Source: ABS, Labour Force, May 215, Department of Employment trend; Department of Employment, Occupational Projections to November 219 Department of Employment Page 13

14 Health professions, List of ANZSCO and ASCED codes used for data sources APPENDIX C Employment data Source: ABS, Labour Force, May 215, Department of Employment trend Covers ANZSCO 251 Health Diagnostic and Promotion Professionals and 252 Health Therapy Professionals. Includes some occupations not covered by the Skill Shortage research. Excludes Medical Laboratory Scientist. Internet Vacancy Index data Source: Department of Employment, Internet Vacancy Index, trend Covers ANZSCO 251 Health Diagnostic and Promotion Professionals and ANZSCO 252 Health Therapy Professionals. Includes some occupations not covered by the Skill Shortage research. Excludes Medical Laboratory Scientist. Employment Projections data Source: Department of Employment, Employment Projections to November 219 Covers ANZSCO 251 Health Diagnostic and Promotion Professionals and ANZSCO 252 Health Therapy Professionals. Includes some occupations not covered by the Skill Shortage research. Excludes Medical Laboratory Scientist. University commencements and completions Source: Department of Education and Training, Higher Education Student Data Collection, 213, customised table, domestic students Includes those fields of training directly related to the health professions Audiology (6179), Dentistry (671), Medical Science (1991), Occupational Therapy (6173), Optometry (691), Pharmacy (651), Physiotherapy (6171), Podiatry (61713), Radiography (6151) and Speech Pathology (6177). Graduate data Source: Graduate Careers Australia, Graduate Destinations Survey, 214, customised table Data relate to bachelor degree graduates from the following fields of education: Dentistry (671), Medical Science (1991), Occupational Therapy (6173), Optometry (691), Pharmacy (651), Physiotherapy (6171), Podiatry (61713), Radiography (6151) and Speech Pathology (6177). Immigration data Sources: Department of Immigration and Border Protection, Subclass 457 Visas Granted Quarterly Pivot Table, 31 March 215 Department of Immigration and Border Protection, Overseas Arrivals and Departures Pivot Table and Pivot Table, 3 June 214 and 31 January 215 Refers to health professionals in the following ANZSCO codes: Medical Laboratory Scientists (2346), Medical Imaging Professionals (2512), Optometrists and Orthoptists (2514), Pharmacists (2515), Dental Practitioners (2523), Occupational Therapists (2524), Physiotherapists (2525), Podiatrists (2526), Audiologists and Speech Pathologists or Therapists (2527) Department of Employment Page 14