Every year, the Occupation Shortage List (OSL) tells a familiar story: Australia doesn’t have enough people entering the jobs that keeps the country running. Technicians, trades, engineering, ICT, health, advanced manufacturing — the same roles appear again and again.
The 2025 OSL Key Findings Report makes it very clear: these shortages aren’t appearing out of nowhere. They’re the result of long‑term pipeline issues that begin years before young people choose a career. In fact, many of the drivers behind today’s shortages can be traced back to the middle‑school years, when students are forming their views as learners and deciding what they’re “good at.”
If we want to fix the skills gap with parents and teachers, we need to start where it begins — in Years 7–10.
The Middle‑School Drop‑Off: Where the Pipeline Starts to Leak
Across Australia, interest in STEM subjects drops sharply during early secondary school. Students who were curious and confident in primary school often begin to disengage once content becomes more abstract and assessments become more high‑stakes.
This matters because the OSL shows that the majority of shortage occupations require strong foundations in:
- problem‑solving
- digital literacy
- design and systems thinking
- numeracy
- hands‑on technical capability
These aren’t senior‑school skills. They are skills that start developing in middle‑school and continually mature post secondary school.
When students lose confidence in Years 7–9, they’re far less likely to choose the subjects that lead to high‑demand careers later.
Uneven Access to Technologies and Real‑World Learning
One of the clearest links between the OSL and middle‑school education is the uneven delivery of the Technologies curriculum. Many schools — especially regional and low‑socioeconomic status (SES) schools — struggle with:
- limited equipment
- outdated workshops
- inconsistent access to specialist teachers
- reduced time allocated to hands‑on learning
- rapidly changing technology
The result is predictable: students reach senior school without the thinking, practical, design, and digital skills that modern 21st century workplaces expect. The OSL calls this a suitability gap — not enough graduates with the right capabilities.
Middle school is the stage where these capabilities should be built.
Gender Gaps Form Early — and They Shape the Workforce
The OSL highlights severe shortages in engineering, ICT, and technical trades. These are also the areas where girls’ participation drops the fastest.
By Year 8, many girls have already decided that engineering, robotics, electronics, and advanced maths “aren’t for them.” Not because of ability — but because of confidence, stereotypes, and lack of exposure to real‑world examples.
If we want a future workforce that engages the whole population, we need to intervene early, before subject choices narrow and career pathways become fixed.
Parents Matter More Than They Realise
One of the strongest findings from the Youth in STEM 2023 Report across national STEM engagement research is:
Parents have more influence on career pathways than friends, teachers, peers, or school programs.
But many parents feel unprepared to support STEM learning once their child reaches secondary school. As content becomes more complex, conversations at home often shift away from maths, science, and technology — exactly when students need encouragement and support the most.
The OSL shows that Australia has a training gap: not enough young people entering the pathways that lead to high‑demand jobs. Parent confidence and awareness play a major role in whether students choose those pathways in the first place.
Career Awareness Comes Too Late
Many schools begin formal career education in Year 10. By then, students have already chosen subjects that open — or close — entire industries.
The OSL highlights shortages in roles that students rarely encounter in middle school, such as:
- technicians
- engineering assistants
- fabrication and mechanical trades
- ICT support roles
- advanced manufacturing operators
If students don’t see and become aware of what these jobs entail, they can’t imagine themselves in them.
Middle school is the perfect time to build awareness of real workplace skills, real tools, and real industry problems — in ways that feel accessible and age‑appropriate.
So What Can Parents, Carers, and Teachers Do?
Here’s the good news: you don’t need to overhaul the curriculum or become an engineer to make a difference. Small, consistent actions in middle school can dramatically strengthen the future workforce pipeline.
- Make learning feel real
Connect classroom content to real jobs, tools, and problems.
Show students how maths, science, and technologies appear in everyday workplaces.
- Encourage hands‑on exploration
Let students build, test, design, repair, and experiment.
Practical learning builds confidence — and confidence drives subject choices.
- Talk about skills, not just careers
Instead of “What job do you want?”, try:
“What skills are you getting better at?”
“What problems do you like solving?”
“What practical activities do you like doing?”
“What interests you outside of school?”
This keeps pathways open.
- Challenge stereotypes early
Girls and boys should see themselves represented in every field — especially the ones in shortage.
Look for examples and discuss these with students.
- Keep conversations going at home
Parents don’t need to know the answers.
Parents and carers act as guides and facilitators.
Curiosity and encouragement matter far more than expertise.
The Bottom Line
Australia’s skills shortages won’t be solved at the hiring stage. They won’t be solved in Year 12. They won’t be solved by immigration alone.
They will be solved by building a stronger, more confident, more capable pipeline of young people — starting in middle school.
When teachers, parents, and carers work together to support the development of real workplace skills early, students don’t just learn better. They see a future for themselves in the industries Australia needs most.
And that’s how we close the gap.