Jobs in the Community - Jobs for the Future

JOBS IN THE COMMUNITY - JOBS FOR THE FUTURE

BACKGROUND

Changes in technology, the economy, consumer demands, and globalisation are some of factors that have impacted on the kind of jobs people do today. This story looks at some of the new career fields that will keep evolving into the future.This story contains the following:

• Information technology
• Medicine and health care
• Scientists
• Engineering
• Finance
• Renewable energy and green jobs
• Glossary
• A gallery of images of jobs that were male-dominated — but are now popular with women too.

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

Computers, the internet and smartphones have changed the way we do business and communicate. And as their use continues to rise, so will the demand for information technology (IT) professionals, such as:

• software developers
• systems administrators
• software architects
• user experience [UX] designers
• game developers. 

careers.govt.nz

MORE ABOUT JOBS IN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

.  Information technology jobs and descriptions — has 22 career and job types in information technology and data science.

QUICK FACTS

.  The website used in the presidential campaign for Barack Obama used software from Silverstipe a small company in Wellington. 

.  Christchurch is the centre for ICT ( information and communications technology) in New Zealand.

MEDICINE AND HEALTH

According to Careers.govt.nz health care will be one of the areas that will see the fastest growth. More attention will be given to preventive care and a growing ageing population. Roles will change and there will be more demand for health specialists. There will be a demand for jobs like:

· Physiotherapist

· Dental hygienist

· Personal trainers

· Biomedical engineers

· Doctors

· Occupational therapists

MORE ABOUT JOBS IN MEDICINE AND HEALTH

.  medical field and healthcare careers — a list of over 200 job examples in demand in the medical field and what is needed for a successful career.

QUICK FACTS

· An X-ray is a machine used to take pictures of the inside of the body. Doctors use this to see if a patient has broken bones.  

· On average it takes 10 years of research and trials to develop a successful medicine. 

SCIENTIST

Scientists are curious people who want to study the world around us by observing, describing, and experimenting. They use the scientific method to study the world around them, gather data and draw conclusions.  

There are many different types of scientists. Here are some examples:

· Zoologists study animals

· Botanists study plants

· Geologists study the rocks and the earth

· Astrologists study the stars, planets, moon and space.

· Meteorologists study the weather

MORE ABOUT SCIENTISTS

. What does a scientist do? — find out what they do, different types of scientists, and what their workplace looks like.

QUICK FACTS

.  New Zealand's first chemistry and physics laboratory was set up in Wellington Technical School in 1899.

. Famous scientist Ernest Rutherford was proud to be a New Zealander. He included in his coat of arms a kiwi, a Màori warrior and Hermes Trismegistus, the patron of knowledge and alchemists.

ENGINEERING

Engineers use maths and science to solve problems, to create new products, or improve products. 

There are different types of engines for different problems and types of work. Here are some types of engineers:

· Civil engineers help build structures like highways, dams, airports, apartments and houses.

· Aerospace engineers help design and make airplanes, spacecrafts and rockets.

· Mechanical engineers design and build machines.

· Chemical engineers use maths and science to produce and develop chemicals to be used places like industries.

· Computer engineers develop hardware and software for computers.

MORE ABOUT ENGINEERING

.  What does an engineer do? — find out about their work, workplaces and the different types of engineering.

QUICK FACTS

. The no. 8 wire is more than just a wire that is used to gauge fencing wire and countless other uses in farms, factories, and homes in New Zealand. It also represents Kiwi ingenuity.

.  Hens turned on street lights in one of Nelson's suburbs. When the hens flew into their coop at night, they sat on a perch that turned the lights on. In the morning when they left the coop, the spring-loaded perch swung back and this turned the lights off. 

FINANCE

If you like maths, statistics, analysing data and working with numbers then banking, accounting, auditing and insurance are some careers that may interest you. 

MORE ABOUT JOBS IN FINANCE

. How to become a banker — has some advice for you if you are interested in finance, business, and math.

QUICK FACTS

.  New Zealand's first banks were built in the 1840s.

.  The Bank of New Zealand hired women during World War One. However many women lost their jobs once the war ended as men returned to claim their jobs back.

RENEWABLE ENERGY AND GREEN JOBS

Green jobs help contribute to sustainable living and development. It could involve conserving energy, reducing pollution, recycling and developing alternative energy such as wind, geothermal and solar energy. Here are some examples of green jobs:

· Environmental lawyers work for the government, private businesses or non-profit organisations. They provide advice on air and water quality, waste and sustainability.

· Environmental engineers advise governments and private companies on impacts of projects on the environment, plans to reduce pollution, and recycling programmes.

· Solar engineers work in any area that helps capture and store energy from the sun, from research and development to design and installation. 

· Hydrologist work with water bodies such as rivers, lakes, ponds and the ocean. They study the quality, quantity availability and flow of water. They collect and test water for impacts of pollution. 

MORE ABOUT JOBS IN RENEWABLE ENERGY AND THE GREEN ECONOMY 

.  Sustainability jobs — examples of careers in sustainability and climate change and how you can qualify for these jobs. 

QUICK FACTS

. The New Zealand Business Council for Sustainable Development (NZBCSD) was set up in 1999 to promote business sustainability and ecological benefits.

. The Sustainable Business Awards has 12 award categories. It has been running for past 18 years and celebrates sustainability in New Zealand's business .

GLOSSARY

 Definitions below have been taken from the Oxford Learner's Dictionary.   

ageing — the process of growing old.

alternative — a thing that you can choose to do or have out of two or more possibilities.

analysing — to examine the nature or structure of something, especially by separating it into its parts, in order to understand or explain it.

auditing — to officially examine the financial accounts of a company.

biomedical — relating to how biology affects medicine.

conclusions — something that you decide when you have thought about all the information connected with the situation.

evolving — to develop gradually, especially from a simple to a more complicated form; to develop something in this way.

biomedical — elating to how biology affects medicine.

evolving — to develop gradually, especially from a simple to a more complicated form; to develop something in this way.

installation — the act of fixing equipment or furniture in position so that it can be used.

non-profit — without the aim of making a profit.

occupational therapists — a person whose job is to help people get better after illness or injury by giving them special activities to do.

preventive — intended to try to stop something that causes problems or difficulties from happening.

statistics — a collection of information shown in numbers.

specialist — a person who is an expert in a particular area of work or study.

technology — scientific knowledge used in practical ways in industry, for example in designing new machines.

A GALLERY OF IMAGES OF jOBS THAT were male-dominated — BUT ARE now popular with WOMEN TOO

This story was curated and compiled by Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa | National Library of New Zealand, Services to Schools staff, December 2020.