ANZSCO 3132-11 November 2016
Radiocommunications Technician Australia
Labour Market Research and Analysis Branch
Department of Employment
Current labour market rating Regional Shortage
Previous labour market rating (August 2013) No Shortage
Employers in regional areas attract very low numbers of suitably qualified applicants. Employers in metropolitan areas, however, attract multiple suitable applicants and fill their vacancies with ease.
Survey results[1]
· Radiocommunications technicians install, maintain, repair and diagnose a variety of communication systems. The majority of vacancies identified for this survey period were for work on radio communication systems as well as satellite and wireless installations.
· About two thirds of vacancies were filled nationally, but regional employers experienced considerable difficulty.
o Regional employers mostly sought experienced and qualified applicants with additional licences and they attracted very low numbers of applicants who met their needs.
o Although they generally attracted large fields of candidates (an average of 14.8 applicants
per vacancy), only 1.3 applicants were qualified[2] and 1.1 suitable.
· The matter of few applicants for radiocommunications vacancies meeting employers’ needs is, though, a national one.
o Just 1.8 of the 19.3 applicants per vacancy were suitable, although 5.5 were qualified.
o A small number of suitable applicants were not considered by employers because they did not live locally and employers were unwilling to relocate them.
· Employers in metropolitan areas fared significantly better in their ability to recruit, filling 73 per cent of their vacancies.
o Metropolitan employers, although seeking qualified applicants, were less likely to require additional licences, and they had the choice of 2.7 suitable applicants per vacancy, on average.
Employers’ requirements
· Around three quarters of the surveyed vacancies required formal qualifications.
o Employers generally sought applicants who had a certificate III or higher qualification in a relevant field such as radiocommunications, telecommunications or electronics.
o Some noted they would have accepted relevant experience.
· All employers required applicants with previous experience in a similar role.
o More than one third sought experienced applicants who had worked with particular communication equipment (including specific brands) or telecommunication providers.
o Some employers noted that they preferred applicants who had three or more years of industry experience.
· It is notable that the tasks and employers’ requirements differed between regional and metropolitan vacancies.
o Vacancies in regional areas were generally for work on satellite and wireless installation work. Some were related to the roll out of the National Broadband Network (NBN) and a small number were for radio networks.
o In addition to a certificate III, regional employers were more likely to require applicants to have post-qualification licensing and training, such as an Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) cabling licence. Some, for which security issues were pertinent, also required a police check.
o Vacancies in metropolitan areas were for a mix of radio communication roles involving the installation and maintenance of two-way radios, satellites and other communication systems.
Unsuitable applicants
· While all employers attracted responses to their vacancies, around 20 per cent did not attract any suitable applicants.
· The main reasons for unsuitability were a lack of relevant specific experience (such as with certain telecommunication providers or manufacturers) and a lack of qualifications.
o All employers in regional areas noted a lack of qualified applicants.
· Other reasons for unsuitability included inadequate communication skills and poor job applications.
Demand and supply trends
· This occupation is highly skilled with three quarters of radiocommunications technicians holding a Certificate III or higher qualification at the time of the 2011 census (latest available data). [3]
· Industries that recruit for radiocommunications technicians are diverse. The Information Media and Telecommunications industry accounted for more than a quarter of the workforce at the time of the 2011 census. Other industries likely to recruit radiocommunications technicians include Manufacturing, Public Administration and Safety and Construction.[4]
Outlook
· Demand for radiocommunications technicians in regional areas is likely to be boosted with the rollout of the NBN.[5]
o Additional development of the NBN wireless network is expected to commence in almost
70 new regions from 2017 to 2018, many of them regional.
Labour Market Research and Analysis Branch
Department of Employment
[1] The methodology underpinning this research is outlined at Skill Shortage Research Methodology | Department of Employment - Document library, Australian Government and can also be accessed by the QR code. The sample size was relatively small for this research and the number of vacancies in regional areas exceeded the relevant employment share.
[2] Certificate III level in radiocommunications, telecommunications or electronics
[3] ABS, Census of Population and Housing, 2011
[4] ibid
[5] NBN, Three year construction plan, September 2015.