Monday 24 November 2014

Why Education is Important for the Economic Growth of Australia

Australia is the twelfth largest economy in the world among developed countries, according to the rate of GDP growth. Because of high living standard, low unemployment rate, high labour costs, huge natural resources and relatively low levels of corruption, Australia is a popular destination for skilled workers, international students and tourists from all over the world.  

10 years ago, the largest number of immigrants came from England and New Zealand, however in recent years things have changed and there are a greater number of immigrants from China and India. Is the growing number of immigrants a good thing? Obviously, with more skilled workers available, productivity increases which is good for everyone in the long run. 

However there are also some potential dangers associated with increased immigration.


People that immigrate to the country as a skilled worker may not be able to find a job in the field in which they are skilled. There is evidence to suggest that some companies do not recognise international qualifications and would much prefer someone that is educated locally.  



Immigrants that are unable to get a job in their chosen field can find a position in a low skilled, low paid industry, educate themselves further in Australia and/or get help from the government, which puts more pressure on the economy and worsens the situation rather than improving it. Yet in terms of getting educated, Australia offers excellent opportunities. Many immigrants choose to educate themselves further in Australia as it is world-renowned for the quality of education that is provided.

Unfortunately Australia is far behind for funding of research and development. According to a Wikipedia report Australia ranked 15th in the world for research and development funding. They are even behind from developing country such as India (ranked 8th) and Brazil (ranked 11th). The only way to mature an economy is innovating new technology rather than increasing the volume of goods production. In the last century almost all the major innovation happened in USA who are the maximum spender in research and development field. 

No wonder that USA is the number one economy in the world in respect to GDP growth. So the time has come for the policy maker to rethink about this issue deeply.



However there are good news also. A significant amount of money is put into vocational education and training including TAFE and short courses in cooking, IT and real estate. The reason behind this is mainly the skill shortages in these industries. The Australian government has done a great job by funding these areas to create a skilled younger population that can fill this need. Because of the constant growth of tourism and the real estate industry, it is speculated that more jobs will be created in this sectors in near future.

There are many opportunities afforded to young Australians as the economy requires different skilled to fill the holes. The real estate and property industry is one such industry and more and more training courses are opening up to accommodate for this need. Find more information about quality real estate courses in Sydney by visiting REET.


Image Source: workforceplanningtools, financialtribune, dimensiondrawings, greendoor-blog, rantlifestyle, govspace