Whitsunday

Resident workers - Field of qualification

There are more resident workers (All industries) qualified in Engineering and Related Technologies in Whitsunday than in any other field.

Field of qualification presents the primary field of study for the highest qualification the person has received. While this is likely to have some relationship to their current occupation, this is not necessarily the case.

The presence of specific qualifications among Whitsunday's resident workforce, which are not used by local industry, may indicate an opportunity for a new industry to move into the area and access a ready labour force.

The field of study relates to a number of factors, such as:

  • The age of the population;
  • The types of industries and occupations located in Whitsunday or within commuting distance, and their qualification requirements;
  • The availability of educational institutions with those curricula nearby;
  • The socio-economic status of Whitsunday, and;
  • The mobility of the population to move where particular skills are required.

Field of Qualification should be looked at in conjunction with Qualification and Occupations statistics for a clearer picture of the skills available in the resident worker population.

Data source

Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) – Census 2016 and 2021 – by usual residence

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Resident workers field of qualification
Whitsunday - Persons20212016Change
Field of qualification (Click rows to view sub-categories)Number%. QueenslandNumber%. Queensland2016 - 2021
Natural and Physical Sciences2091.21.81350.91.7+74
Information Technology1200.72.1870.61.8+33
Engineering and Related Technologies2,51614.011.02,39215.311.6+124
Architecture and Building9235.14.58245.34.8+99
Agriculture, Environmental and Related Studies3792.11.53242.11.5+55
Health1,0055.68.97484.87.7+257
Education9335.25.97524.85.6+181
Management and Commerce1,89010.514.71,5509.913.5+340
Society and Culture1,1186.29.19195.97.9+199
Creative Arts2901.62.61961.22.2+94
Food, Hospitality and Personal Services1,1766.54.21,0076.44.0+169
Mixed Field Programmes40.00.1310.20.1-27
Not stated or inadequately described6693.73.05503.52.6+119
No qualification6,72837.530.66,16839.335.0+560
Total Persons17,960100.0100.015,683100.0100.0+2,277

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Census of Population and Housing 2016 and2021. Compiled and presented by .id (informed decisions)

Please refer to specific data notes for more information
Did you know? By clicking/tapping on a category in the chart below you will be able to drilldown to the sub categories.
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Dominant groups

Analysis of the field of qualifications in Whitsunday shows that the three largest fields the resident workers (All industries) were qualified in were:

  • Engineering and Related Technologies (2,516 people or 14.0%)
  • Management and Commerce (1,890 people or 10.5%)
  • Food, Hospitality and Personal Services (1,176 people or 6.5%)

In combination these three fields accounted for 5,582 people in total or 31.1% of the resident workers (All industries).

In comparison, Queensland employed 11.0% in Engineering and Related Technologies; 14.7% in Management and Commerce and 4.2% in Food, Hospitality and Personal Services.

The major differences between the field of qualifications held by the resident workers () of Whitsunday and Queensland were:

  • A smaller percentage of resident workers (All industries) qualified in Management and Commerce (10.5% compared to 14.7%)
  • A smaller percentage of resident workers (All industries) qualified in Health (5.6% compared to 8.9%)
  • A larger percentage of resident workers (All industries) qualified in Engineering and Related Technologies (14.0% compared to 11.0%)
  • A smaller percentage of resident workers (All industries) qualified in Society and Culture (6.2% compared to 9.1%)

Emerging groups

The number of resident workers (All industries) in Whitsunday increased by 2,277 between 2016 and 2021.

The largest change in the field of qualifications held by the resident workers (All industries) between 2016 and 2021 in Whitsunday was for those qualified in:

  • Management and Commerce (+340 resident workers)
  • Health (+257 resident workers)
  • Society and Culture (+199 resident workers)
  • Education (+181 resident workers)

Whitsunday Regional Council

economic profile