Skills Australia
Specialised Occupations List (SpOL)
The labour market is generally quite effective in responding to changing skills needs and economic fluctuations. However, for some occupations there is potential for market failure because the labour market is less able to adjust quickly. There are certain occupational areas where the risk of shortages, or indeed over-supply, needs to be better identified and addressed. If Australia fails to address these issues, we risk recurring skill shortages and resource wastage as a result of mismatches between educational supply and workforce demands.
While skills and workforce planning in Australia are the responsibility of several key groups, including employers, there is a need to nominate those ‘specialised occupations’ that should be the focus of national planning. This will help to protect the economy and the community against future skills shortages in areas that are of high value and where skills take a long time to develop and acquire.
As part of its workforce development strategy Skills Australia developed a new methodology for identifying specialised occupations. The resulting SpOL identifies those occupations which satisfy two of the first three of the following criteria: long lead-time; high use; high risk; and satisfy the fourth criterion of high information.
- Specialised Occupations List 2011 (PDF 83KB | RTF 34KB)
- Specialised Occupations List 2011 at the ANZSCO Six Digit level (PDF 394KB | RTF 47KB)
In order to ensure that the Specialised Occupations were appropriate for inclusion on the Skilled Occupation List (SOL), Skills Australia conducted further analysis of labour market, education and training, migration and general economic data to assess longer term skills and workforce development needs for the occupation. This was based on a range of indicators, including vacancy levels, employment and unemployment levels, job turnover, average hours worked/part-time work, training rates and trends (including completion rates)and occupational wastage of the domestic and migrant workforces.
Consideration was given to efforts being made to fill shortages by other means, such as recruiting and up-skilling the domestic workforce. Based on this analysis, together with industry intelligence and the views of stakeholders, Specialised Occupations were excluded from the SOL for the following reasons:
- The occupation is likely to be in surplus in the medium to long term – based on the size and age of the current workforce, expected employment growth rates and turnover and trends in student enrolments and completions,
- There are other more appropriate and/or specific visa options. For example, niche occupations (i.e. it has very few employers or employment opportunities) may be more appropriately dealt with through Employer Nominated or State and Regional sponsorship arrangements,
- The job requires the occupant to be an Australian Citizen, or
- The course of study can and usually is completed without a long lead time and is not sufficiently skilled.
As a result of this analysis, a number of occupations which are on the SpOL have not been included on the SOL. Skills Australia has now released the summary sheets for all occupations that are on the SpOL but are not on the SOL.
The occupations are classified by the Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO), First Edition, Revision 1 at the six digit level, whereas the summary sheets are at the four digit, or unit group ANZSCO level. In some cases, the unit groups accessed through the following links also have occupations that are included on the Skilled Occupation List.
The summary sheets include data on occupational trends and skill shortage research provided by the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations. These were prepared based on the previous version of ANZSCO, so there may be minor differences for some occupations.
SpOL Summary Sheets for Specialised Occupations not on the Skilled Occupation List
The following summary sheets are for occupations that appear on the SpOL based on the ANZSCO Revision 1.
| ANZSCO Code | Occupation | Document for occupation |
| 134299 | Health and Welfare Services Manager nec | (PDF 121KB | RTF 129KB) |
| 134311 | School Principal | (PDF 160KB | RTF 134KB) |
| 134411 134412 134499 |
Faculty Head Regional Education Manager Other Education Manager |
(PDF 176KB | RTF 131KB) |
| 222111 222112 222113 222199 |
Commodities Broker Financial Broker Insurance Broker Financial Broker nec |
(PDF 173KB | RTF 130KB) |
| 231111 231112 231113 231114 231199 |
Aeroplane Pilot Air Traffic Controller Flying Instructor Helicopter Pilot Air Traffic Professional nec |
(PDF 121KB | RTF 125KB) |
| 231211 231215 231299 |
Master Fisher Ship's Surveyor Marine Transport Professional nec |
(PDF 236KB | RTF 134KB) |
| 233999 | Engineering Professional nec | (PDF 168KB | RTF 88KB) |
| 241213 | Primary School Teacher | (PDF 176KB | RTF 134KB) |
| 241311 | Middle(Aus) and Intermediate(NZ) School Teacher | (PDF 193KB | RTF 137KB) |
| 242111 242112 |
University Lecturer University Tutor |
(PDF 174KB | RTF 135KB) |
| 249311 | Teachers TESOL | (PDF 178KB | RTF 133KB) |
| 251111 | Dietition | (PDF 189KB | RTF 133KB) |
| 251411 251412 |
Optometrist Orthopist |
(PDF 181KB | RTF 136KB) |
| 251512 | Industrial Pharmacist | (PDF 171KB | RTF 133KB) |
| 253112 | Resident Medical Officer | (PDF 174KB | RTF 140KB) |
| 254211 254212 |
Nurse Educator Nurse Researcher |
(PDF 177KB | RTF 131KB) |
| 254311 | Nurse Manager | (PDF 170KB | RTF 131KB) |
| 261314 | Software Tester | (PDF 179KB | RTF 141KB) |
| 271211 271212 271213 271299 |
Judge Magistrate Tribunal Member Judicial and Other Legal Professional nec |
(PDF 122KB | RTF 113KB) |
| 322111 322112 322113 322114 322115 |
Blacksmith Electroplater Farrier Metal Casting Trades Worker Metal Polisher |
(PDF 173KB | RTF 126KB) |
| 323311 323312 323314 323315 323316 |
Engraver Gunsmith Precision Instrument Maker and Repairer Saw Maker and Repairer Watch and Clock Maker and Repairer |
(PDF 191KB | RTF 140KB) |
| 324111 | Panelbeater | (PDF 184KB | RTF 136KB) |
| 324311 | Vehicle Painter | (PDF 190KB | RTF 136KB) |
| 332111 | Floor Finisher | (PDF 189KB | RTF 135KB) |
| 342311 342312 |
Business Machine Mechanic Communications Operator |
(PDF 176KB | RTF 133KB) |
| 342412 342413 |
Telecommunications Cable Jointer Telecommunications Linesworker |
Summary sheets for these occupations are currently in development |
| 394211 394212 394213 394214 394299 |
Furniture Finisher Picture Framer Wood Machinist Wood Turner Wood Machinists and Other Woods Trades |
(PDF 136KB | RTF 132KB) |
| 399611 | Signwriter | (PDF 173KB | RTF 131KB) |
| 411411 411412 |
Enrolled Nurse Mothercraft Nurse |
(PDF 175KB | RTF 141KB) |
| 411511 | Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Worker | (PDF 100KB | RTF 129KB) |
| 423111 | Aged and Disabled Carer | (PDF 168KB | RTF 130KB) |
| 423311 423312 423313 423314 |
Hospital Orderly Nursing Support Worker Personal Care Assistant Therapy Aide |
(PDF 172KB | RTF 132KB) |
| 441211 441212 |
Emergency Service Worker Fire Fighter |
(PDF 175KB | RTF 88KB) |
| 441311 441312 |
Detective Police |
(PDF 148KB | RTF 137KB) |