Are you planning to study abroad? Do you aspire to move to one of the top study abroad destinations and settle there eventually? If yes, in addition to understanding the changing educational landscape, you must also understand the evolving career landscape. The global skill demand and the dynamics of high-paying careers in Canada, Australia, the UK or other destinations are changing swiftly.
Simply put, overseas policy and rules change every year. New programs are being rolled out by universities every six months. New career avenues are emerging every week. Skills that were in high demand, let’s say two years back, may not be relevant today. For instance, soft skills are being hailed as the new age power skills. The sooner you realize this, the better it is.
As a result, studying abroad isn’t only about getting a degree anymore; it’s also about what happens once you graduate. Logically, students today want to know where they will find meaningful employment and what they can actually do to get hired.
The catch is that the exact shift in skill demands varies from one country to another. If you plan to study in Canada, things are going to work differently as compared to other countries. Canada has its own share of skill shortages and a saturation of workers from a particular industry. On the other hand, if you plan to study in Australia or study in the UK, the industry shifts and employers’ preferences change accordingly.
So, what we’ve done is that for those who plan to study in Canada, Australia or study in the UK, we have segregated the shifts in skill demands. We have covered the shifts in industries and career prospects across these 3 destinations separately for students wanting to study abroad.
Canada: Skill-Focused and Driven by Technology
1. Healthcare & Support Services
So, Canada has developed a strong demand for nurses, medical technicians and healthcare administrators. In fact, health informatics is a booming field too.
As a mixed population between urban and rural and small towns and big cities, hospitals and clinics offer jobs regardless of geography. For example, British Columbia, Nova Scotia and Ontario are three provinces with the largest healthcare demands.
2. AI & Technology
Another hot area for jobs in Canada for international students is technology. Toronto has become North America’s fastest-growing tech hub, Vancouver is thriving in software development, and Montreal is famous for AI research. Cybersecurity, cloud computing and application development rule the market. I am sure that a plethora of opportunities in prompt engineering will also boom in Canada.
This is where region-specific job data really stands out and tells us without a doubt that employers in Canada are looking for a good mix of experienced candidates and freshers to keep ideas unique and as per modern trends.
3. Skilled Trades & Infrastructure
Canada also needs people who can build and maintain its infrastructure. Some prominent examples are carpenters, plumbers, electricians, mechanics and civil engineers. These are high-paying and in-demand jobs. As you will know, housing and transportation are key elements in Canada’s economy and have faced a crisis in recent years due to shortages.
To counter this, large-scale projects are underway and offer lucrative job opportunities. This is an underrated area and students should take advantage of it.
This indicates two things: jobs in Canada for international students extend beyond office and many students with technical skills can secure high paying jobs relatively early after their studies.
United Kingdom: Skills-based Shortages
Don’t let social media trends and casual opinions from friends and relatives deter you. The UK remains a magnet for international students. It continues to offer an appealing blend of culture and modern creativity.
1. Healthcare & Social Care
Just like Canada, the UK’s healthcare system is stretched. The NHS keeps telling us that nurses, doctors, radiographers and social care workers are on its shortage list. The result? Healthcare is the most reliable path for international graduates.
With skill shortages, UK authorities openly admit that opportunities are vast across England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland and they’re eagerly looking to fill these positions.
2. Engineering & Green Technology
Engineering is another field shaped by skill shortages in the UK. Let’s take the three most popular engineering avenues – Civil engineers, mechanical engineers, and electrical engineers. All three are needed for everything from transportation to information technology to renewable energy projects.
As a fourth and unique front, the UK is pushing toward net-zero emissions, so green technology specialists and green engineers are increasingly in demand.
3. Digital & Cybersecurity
London, Manchester and Edinburgh. These three key financial hubs in the UK are expanding fast and with expansion comes the threat and risk of cybersecurity. Tech companies, banks and government offices are the most prone targets and are looking for graduates who can protect data.
With these skill shortages UK sectors heavily focused on digital skills, this is one of the most future-proof paths. The best part? If you have the necessary skills, this is one area where experience isn’t the dealbreaker and you can get good jobs as soon as you graduate.
Australia: Careers Galore
In 2019-2020, the U.S.-Canada-U.K. axis was disrupted and Australia emerged as the undisputed contender as the most popular study destination for international students. Since then, the country has been an attractive proposition for students who want both quality education and a high standard of living.
Let’s add to that Australia’s active initiative to build its workforce to fill high-demand careers that Australia’s industries need immediately. Some of these industries are described below:
1. Healthcare & Aged Care
Australian healthcare is a flagship sector in both academia and jobs. Nurses, physiotherapists, and aged-care workers are some of the top high demand careers Australia lists year after year. The programs that train students for these professions are top notch too.
Similar to Canada, as Australia’s population ages, the healthcare sector is put under stress and students can find opportunities across all states and territories in meaningful capacities.
2. Engineering & Construction
Another high demand careers sector in Australia is infrastructure. Such a developed country has a very strong focus on efficient and modern airports, road networks and renewable energy plants. This puts civil and electrical engineers at an advantage.
Moreover, the mining sector in Western Australia and Queensland is renowned globally for its output and adds further opportunities for graduates. So, if you’re pursuing geology, environmental science or mechanical engineering, Australia is one of the best destinations for you. In fact, sustainability engineering is quite a booming vertical of engineering that will enjoy a lot of attention in the future.
3. IT & Emerging Technologies
Just like Bangalore and Hyderabad are start-up hotspots in India, Sydney and Melbourne hold similar positions in Australia. The presence of global tech companies are very strong in these two cities and there isn’t a prominent international tech brand you won’t find here.
Thus, IT specialists in cloud computing, software development, data science, and cybersecurity are on the frontlines of high demand careers in Australia. According to region-specific job data observed by us, job opportunities are spread across small towns and big cities. So, students have the flexibility of choosing where to live and settle.
Comparing the Regions
Now that you know where jobs are available, let’s try to compare them using region-specific job data:
● Canada has a very heavy focus on healthcare, technology, and skilled trades. It’s safe to say that the demand is widespread. Jobs in Canada for international students are plentiful in both big cities and smaller provinces due to its sheer size.
● The UK’s job opportunities factor in skill shortages UK industries face as the most important aspect. This is equally true for sectors of healthcare, engineering and digital technologies.
● Australia is a momentum machine and is constantly growing. Healthcare, engineering and IT are the country’s focus alongside sustainable growth and innovation. These sectors traditionally hold great appeal for Indian students.
Looking at this comparison, we always encourage students to base their career choices on personal interests, academic background and lifestyle preferences.
Takeaways
For international students planning their future, this region-specific job data strongly suggests the following:
● If you’re interested in healthcare, all three regions of Canada, the UK, and Australia offer strong prospects. Your eventual decision should be based on other factors such as lifestyle preferences.
● If you’re passionate about technology, jobs in Canada for international students and high demand careers in Australia are relatively more promising.
● If engineering is your career aspiration, the skill shortages UK list and Australia’s infrastructure boom both create noteworthy openings.
● Finally, if you have technical or trade skills, Canada has especially good opportunities for you.
It is highly important to align academic goals with the global trends to secure a job after studying abroad. Wherever you go, remember that employers are not just looking for degrees. They want practical experience, flexibility, hard and soft skills and a desire to learn.
Studying abroad is a career investment in your future and every country’s economy and state of industry should surely affect your decision. It’s always great to start thinking as a professional while you’re still a student.
Still looking for answers? Reach out to us!
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Author Bio : Shivam Garg
As an entrepreneur working in the domain of education with the vision of empowering young learners to be future leaders, I love to share my insights and views quite passionately through my pieces of content which too are aimed at bringing a positive difference. With 10 plus years of experience entrepreneurship, mentoring and writing, there is a lot I have to share with the youngsters around.
shivam.garg092@gmail.com
