Industry snapshots
On this web page you will find information to help you decide if you might be suited to a job in:
Hospitality and tourism
The State Government has made hospitality and tourism priorities for training and workforce development.1 The sector has a statewide plan that recommends attracting older people.2
Hospitality and tourism in Tasmania cover a very wide range of small and larger businesses, such as:
- tour companies
- travel companies
- visitor accommodation
- hotels and bars
- restaurants and cafes
- museums
- cultural festivals and sporting events
- public and private parks and recreation facilities
- vineyards, breweries, distilleries and farms offering visitor services.
Hospitality and tourism businesses have to be able to cater for all the people they serve. Visitors may come from interstate or overseas, but many will be Tasmanians holidaying at home. Our State has the oldest population in Australia, so it makes sense for the sector to employ lots of people aged over 45.
Jobs in hospitality and tourism include:
- guides
- baristas
- front of house staff
- waiters
- chefs
- drivers
- and many others.
Employment can be:
- full time
- casual
- part time
- seasonal
- located in cities or in regional Tasmania.
This means the hospitality and tourism sector may be a good option even if you want work outside the major cities or don’t want to work year round.4
Recent research suggests many employers and younger workers in tourism and hospitality are keen to see an increase in the age diversity of the sector and welcome older workers.
The sector might also be a good option if you can speak the language of international visitors who are most likely to come to Tasmania.
A great place to look for Tasmanian jobs in the sector is the new jobs portal tastourismandhospitalityjobs.com.au.
In response to COVID-19, TasTAFE is offering a short course in Customer Service at no cost. You can find out more here.
In the following video, career coach Anne Kirby-Fahey (left) and former People and Culture Manager at Wrest Point and Country Club casinos Dianne Underwood (right) share their insights into this sector.
After you’ve watched the video, check out the the hospitality and tourism resources box below it. This has links to courses that will make you more employable in the sector, ranging from short courses such as Responsible Serving of Alcohol to certificates, diplomas and degrees.
Aged services
Aged services are part of the the health care and social assistance sector.
The health and social assistance sector has everything going for it as a place to apply for work if you are aged over 45.
- It employs far more people than any other Tasmanian sector.5
- More than 50 per cent of its employees are aged over 45.5
- It is expected to grow fast.3
Aged services have the added benefit of being Tasmanian government priorities for training and workplace development. 1
Jobs in aged services include:
- enrolled nurse
- carer or support worker
- program coordinator
- manager.
Places you might work include:
- hospitals
- community health facilities
- residential aged care facilities
- home-based care settings
- mental health settings
- respite centres.
TasTAFE has a great description of the kind of people who make good aged-services workers. It might give you an idea of whether you would be suited to a job in the sector:
“Few professions offer the opportunities, challenges and rewards that you will find working in the Health and Aged Care sector. Choosing a career in this sector will give you the chance to make a real difference in people’s everyday lives…To succeed in this sector, you’ll need excellent communication skills, a supportive and caring approach, lots of patience and flexibility, and a willingness to work as part of a team.”6
If you decide you’d like to apply for a job in aged services, you’ll need a qualification. To help you decide which level of qualification would be best, check out the links in the “Aged services resources” box below.
Transport
The transport industry in Tasmania has a high proportion of older workers.5 It may be an appealing option if you are flexible enough to do shift work – perhaps because your kids have grown up.
Jobs in the transport sector include:
- driver
- forklift operator
- warehouse
- administration
- scheduling
- work health & safety
- mechanic
Joanne Tye, HR and Compliance Manager at Tasmanian transport company SRT Logistics, says if you’re fit to drive a truck and have the necessary skills and licences, your age will be irrelevant. SRT Logistics is regularly on the lookout for drivers, and has a record of encouraging women to become drivers.
Trucks come in many sizes, depending on the goods they carry. They include:
- dangerous goods trucks
- refrigerated goods trucks
- livestock trucks
- tippers
- milk tankers
- bulk tankers.
To be competitive for a job as a truck driver, you’ll need:
- people skills for dealing with staff at the point of delivery
- the ability to work alone, because you’ll be in a truck by yourself for several hours a day
- necessary licences.
Some parts of the job can be challenging though.7 These include:
- the need for manual handling of heavy weights
- long hours behind the wheel
- shift work
- some poorly designed vehicles.
The expense of getting the appropriate licence is one of the biggest barriers to entering the industry. Licence types include:
- multi combination
- heavy combination
- heavy rigid
- medium rigid
- light rigid.
It’s important to understand which licences and other endorsements you need before you apply.
It may be possible to have the cost of obtaining your licence subsidised under the Australian Government’s Skills Checkpoint for Older Workers or the Tasmanian Government’s Rapid Response Skills Initiative, if you are eligible for one of these schemes. You can find out more on our web page called “Education and training“.
If you’re employed to drive a heavy vehicle, you’ll need to have medicals, fill in work diaries and have a blood-alcohol level of zero while you’re working.
Construction
Tasmania’s building and construction sector has been one of Tasmania’s “great success stories” in recent years, supporting thousands of workers.8
Like most parts of the economy, construction was hit hard by restrictions associated with the coronavirus (COVID-19) emergency in 2020 but this has been followed by huge activity in the industry, including housing construction.
To find out what kind of questions you’re likely to be asked in a job interview these days, check out this practice interview for a construction foreman. And make sure you stick around for Warren’s tips at the end, like making sure you have your white card, first aid certificate and other relevant documentation.
White card
A white card demonstrates you have undertaken an accredited induction into workplace health and safety for the Tasmanian construction industry. No matter what level you are, if you work in the construction industry in this State, you must have a white card. This applies whether you are an employer, contractor, project manager, employee, subcontractor or part of a labour hire company.
White card training must be completed in Tasmania and delivered by a registered training organisation.