Future Jobs, Future Skills

Western Sydney’s economic prosperity in coming decades will depend on many factors, including the strength of business, investment, social institutions, government policies and more. Universities have an important role too, as employers in their own right, collaborating with industry on research and innovation, and by providing community services and contributing to the local social fabric. Most importantly, they’ll be developing the human capital Western Sydney’s economy needs, providing workers with the knowledge, skills and experiences for the jobs of tomorrow.

Deloitte Access Economics was engaged by the University of Sydney to undertake research and analysis into the future demand for higher education from Western Sydney – capturing both the potential volume of domestic higher education demand from individuals living in Western Sydney and the profile of this demand – as part of building the evidence base for understanding the challenges and opportunities for Western Sydney.

By 2050, annual demand for higher education from Western Sydney is forecast to increase to up to 264,000, from 144,000 today (i.e. by 120,000 or 84%). The largest disciplines today – Society and Culture, Health, and Management and Commerce – are forecast to remain key fields of study for students in 2050. However, based on job trends, the strongest growth will be in Health, Information Technology and Education.

Given the increasing and changing nature of demand for higher education in Western Sydney, there is a need to rethink what education is necessary for the jobs of the future and how it is delivered.