Torrens University Australia reveals programs of study for the jobs of tomorrow

With thousands of soon-to-be school leavers considering higher education and employment after final examinations, Torrens University Australia has revealed programs of study developed to prepare students for jobs in industries which are expected to perform well in the years to come, according to leading research.

Commenting on the new programs in sports management, health, design and hospitality, Professor Justin Beilby, Vice Chancellor of Torrens University Australia explains “at a time when young people are making plans for their professional futures, it’s critical they analyse potential study programs that will lead to genuine, relevant employment opportunities upon graduation.

“All of the programs offered by Torrens University Australia have been meticulously researched to ensure there is strong evidence indicating there will likely be demand for professionals in the industry and its various occupations for many years to come.”

According to Professor Beilby, industry sectors set to enjoy employment growth in coming years - which is the starting point from which all Torrens programs are developed - include:

Sports Management
According to data from business analysts IBISWorld, sports administrative services will enjoy annual jobs growth of 4.9% in the years to 2019/20, with roles ranging from negotiating broadcast rights and brokering sponsorship deals to managing member services and becoming involved with team management.

Similarly, the Department of Employment foresees strong sports-related growth with the number of people working in the amusement, fitness and sports centre management category tipped to double to 18,000 between 2012 and 2020.

Professor Beilby comments “the Bachelor of Business (Sports Management) at Torrens University Australia teaches students to identify business opportunities for sports organisations, analyse the role of professional sport in society, consider sports’ impact on developing community, and examine the impact of governing bodies on sports regulation, preparing them for careers in professional sports team management, sports event marketing and management or planning and running high-level sporting facilities.” 

For those already working in the industry, Torrens offers a MBA in Sports Administration in partnership with Real Madrid Graduate School - a program that has seen strong uptake from a broad range of existing professionals since it was launched in July 2015.

Hospitality
The latest June ABS data calls out accommodation and hospitality as two of the industries enjoying the fastest rate of jobs growth currently, with each segment adding 40,000 jobs in the year to May 2017. Backing that up, statistics from the Department of Employment indicate excellent prospects for hotel, conference and event management professionals, with hotel managers already enjoying 16.5% employment growth in the five years to 2015, while employment numbers in the conference and event management field are predicted to reach 25,400 by 2020, up from 13,500 in 2005.

The luxury hotel and serviced apartment sectors have also recorded solid annualised growth on the back of strong demand from foreign tourists, especially Chinese visitors.

Professor Beilby commented “Torrens University Australia has developed a range of hospitality-related programs to target skills gaps in the sector, including the Bachelor of Business (International Event Management) and Bachelor of Business (International Hotel and Resort Management) at the Blue Mountains International Hotel Management School (BMIHMS), and the Bachelor of Business (Event Management) at APM College of Business and Communication.

“From hotel and resort managers to guest services professionals, event coordinators and conference managers, our hospitality programs offer extensive, and often paid, professional work placements to help our graduates secure those sought-after jobs as soon as they complete their studies - if not before.” 

For those already working in the industry, Torrens offers postgraduate programs in International Hotel Management and Global Business Management. The Blue Mountains International Hotel Management School at Torrens University Australia has an enviable reputation in the hospitality industry.

Particularly, the School’s industry partnerships lead the field, counting Accor, Four Seasons and Sofitel among its partners. In 2016 the Careers team sourced over 750 industry placements for students in Australia and around the world, in part contributing to the School’s superb employability record: 70% of BMIHMS students obtain jobs prior to graduation and 95% within three months of graduation.

Health 
Covering a broad spectrum ranging from health and welfare services to caring for the ageing and disabled, Professor Beilby suggests there will be plenty of scope for employment in health-related professions in the years to come. Qualified students will be able to contribute to preventing and controlling disease, develop sensitive policies to care for and accommodate our ageing population and those with disabilities. 

The latest data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics underlines this trend, with the healthcare sector called out as a key driver of jobs growth, currently employing 1.6 million Australians - or 14% of the national workforce. 

The ABS noted there are 366,000 more jobs in our healthcare sector today than back in 2010, with analysts forecasting an additional 243,000 jobs will be added over the next few years on the back of our ageing population and the rollout of the National Disability Insurance Scheme.

Torrens University Australia recently established the Torrens Centre of Positive Ageing and Wellbeing. The Centre aims to be a leader in the field of positive ageing by addressing the challenges and opportunities of an ageing population and by collaborating more closely with aged care communities and service providers. The Centre will conduct its own research and aims to improve social justice and wellbeing, including improved health outcomes, stringent governance and quality controls, economic prosperity and international development. 

For those already working in the industry, Torrens offers postgraduate programs in Public Health and Human Services Management. Torrens University Australia is a member of the peak national organisation representing Public Health in Universities, the Council of Academic Public Health Institutions Australia (CAPHIA). In addition to this, the pioneering Public Health Information Development Unit (PHIDU), which collates and graphically represents health and other lifestyle data, also calls Torrens home, meaning students have access to leading data to use freely in research, study, planning, teaching, policy-making, communications and conversation.

Design
Technology-related design fields are likely to enjoy sustained jobs - and revenue - growth in coming years as we continue to seek fresh ways to harness technology, especially the mobile variety. According to IBISWorld data, Software Publishers will enjoy eight% annual revenue growth over the next five years, Computer System Design Services will grow by 3.9% per year, while Smartphone App Developers will experience accelerated growth of 10.6% in the years to 2022. 

Professor Beilby added “our Bachelor of Software Engineering (Game Programming) and Bachelor of Creative Technologies (Game Art) programs at Media Design School at Torrens University Australia have been specially developed to equip student with the skills they need to become specialist software engineers and game developers across platforms including online, mobile and console environments.

“We’ve partnered with Sony Computer Entertainment Europe’s PlayStation First Academic Development Programme to enable program students to develop games for the iconic PlayStation®, and to collaborate with fellow programmers and game artists to take commercially viable game concepts from the drawing board through to live prototype stage, demonstrating our unwavering commitment to crafting programs based around hands-on learning and developing students with the real-world skills employers seek - before they graduate.”

For those already working in the industry, Torrens offers postgraduate programs in Design, and UX and Web Design. The Bachelor of Software Engineering (Game Programming) and Bachelor of Creative Technologies (Game Art) programs at Media Design School at Torrens University Australia have been developed in conjunction with New Zealand’s most awarded provider of digital and creative technology programs of study. Media Design School gained additional international recognition in 2016 when the school was ranked by The Rookies as the world’s top tertiary provider for both Graphic Design and Photography by a panel of internationally renowned judges, beating 479 other schools from 77 countries for these top honours.

Torrens University Australia
Torrens University Australia offers a range of career-focused undergraduate and postgraduate programs in Business, Education, Hospitality, Design, Health, Project Management and Sports Management for study on-campus, online or a hybrid of both. Torrens University’s campuses can be found in Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Brisbane, and is led by a team of research- and career-oriented academic staff who, combined with a carefully selected group of global industry partners, help students to bridge the gap between study and work.

Torrens University Australia is part of the global Laureate International Universities network, with more than 1,000,000+ students at 70 institutions in 25 countries.

Laureate International Universities is the world’s largest B Corp. On 1st October 2015, Laureate converted to a Public Benefit Corporation, a class of corporations that are required by law to create a general public benefit through a material, positive impact on society. Laureate is required to publicly disclose a report that assesses its public benefit performance. 

Images: Representative of Real Madrid and Torrens University seal their partnership in Sydney (top) and Blue Mountains Hotel Management School students (below).

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