{Article} Five industries set to boom – and the skills you need to succeed
Traditional industries are being disrupted and replaced with slicker, faster models that are changing the way we work now and into the future.
Jobseekers with an eye on these emerging industries are tuned into skills they need to hone for the opportunities that lie ahead of them.
But the most in-demand industries of tomorrow may not be what you would expect.
Although technology plays a big role in the employment landscape, human-centric industries are also coming to the fore.
Continuing my ongoing conversations on behalf of Seek.com I chat to The New Daily about the industries set to boom in the next five to 10 years.
Health and wellness
The wellness industry has flourished in recent years and futurist Morris Miselowski predicts it will keep growing into the future.
“Over the last five to six years we’ve seen an increase in diet controls, an increase in exercise and awareness of mental health; all of those kinds of things which are wellness oriented,” he said.
“We’re also changing the way we apply medicine and wellness, and the way we distribute it out. It used to be centralised, so we went to a hospital or a doctor.
“But over the last 18 months we have telemedicine and we’re seeing nurses come to people’s homes, we’re seeing ageing at home – all sorts of things are happening that haven’t happened before, which means the range of job possibilities are exponential.”
With the growing integration of technology and health care, professionals in this field need a range of interpersonal skills, such as communication and teamwork, along with the ability to use digital technologies effectively.
Technology
The past 30 years have seen the invention of new technologies, but the next chapter will revolve around the increasing use of technology in the home and in our daily lives.
Autonomous technology will increasingly strive to make life easier.
These include algorithm-driven devices such as robots, drones, smart home devices and autonomous software.
Technology skills can go in many different directions, from artificial intelligence to data science and analytics, but the World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs report says critical thinking and problem solving are still the most in-demand skills in any industry over the next five years.
Food and food production
Food in many ways will be part of a future landscape and a growing one with lots of jobs, major employers and major possibilities..
Establishing sustainable methods to grow enough food to feed the world’s rapidly increasing population is a top priority.
“We need to find more food and we need to do it with less land, less water and less pollution,” Miselowski said.
“We have this whole new realm of lab-grown, 3D-printed food – it’s not a fad, it’s just starting to kick in. Food in many ways will be part of a future landscape and a growing one with lots of jobs, major employers, major possibilities.”
In Deloitte’s Future of Work: The State of the Food Industry report, food executives point to a pressing need for staff with automation skills to replace manual labour that many people don’t want to do any more.
Construction
With Australia’s population expected to reach between 28.3 and 29.3 million people by 2027, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the nation is reliant on the construction industry to keep pace.
Efficient production methods, including 3D printing, are predicted to save time, money and be much better for the environment.
These innovations highlight a need for construction workers with digital skills and more awareness around environmental, social, and corporate governance.
Education
Thanks to the internet, education is now more accessible than ever before.
This accessibility is only set to improve as people in remote locations take advantage of the educational opportunities.
So teachers will need to adapt quickly to emerging technologies and teaching strategies.
“We will have distributed education that will be available to everybody, anywhere and it will be ongoing for life, and there are lots of new landscapes in that space,” Miselowski said.
The future promises exciting new possibilities for jobseekers across various industries where technology meets uniquely human skills.
Read full article: The New Daily
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Which five industries have the strongest growth signals right now?
Health and aged care (driven by demographics and technology convergence), renewable energy and clean tech (driven by policy, cost curves, and corporate commitments), cyber security and digital trust (driven by risk exposure and regulatory pressure), mental health services (driven by demand growth that far exceeds supply), and the creator and knowledge economy (driven by platform accessibility and professional autonomy trends).
Q: What skills are most valuable across these growing industries?
Across all five: digital literacy at a functional level, the ability to work effectively with AI tools, communication and relationship skills, and the capacity to learn continuously rather than trade on existing credentials. Each industry also has specific technical skills in demand — the combination of transferable and technical capability is what commands premium positioning.
Q: How do you identify which industry transition is right for an individual?
By matching genuine interests and existing capabilities to growth trajectories. The most sustainable career transitions are those that build on existing strengths rather than starting from zero. A financial services professional moving into ESG advisory, or a nurse moving into health technology — these are additive transitions, not complete reinventions.
Q: Can Morris Misel speak on industry futures and skills strategy for professional or corporate audiences?
Yes. Workforce strategy, industry foresight, and skills planning are regular keynote and workshop topics. Book at morrismisel.com.
Traditional industries are being disrupted and replaced with slicker, faster models that are changing the way we work now and into the future. Jobseekers with an eye on these emerging industries are tuned into skills they need to hone for the opportunities that lie ahead of them.
The shift around Five industries set to boom and the skills you need is not purely structural. It changes what capabilities organisations value, how people find meaning in their roles, and what conditions make good work possible. Leaders who understand this early retain the talent they need and build cultures that attract it.
The most important question is not whether Five industries set to boom and the skills you need will matter, but how quickly it will matter in your specific context. Leaders benefit most from mapping the ripple effects early — not just the direct impact but the second and third-order consequences that arrive later and hit harder. That is the practical work of foresight.
