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5 HUMAN RESOURCES BY SELECTED QUALIFICATIONS AND OCCUPATIONS (previously known as 'Human resources in science and technology')

Human Resources by Selected Qualifications and Occupations, Australia 2001 (cat no. 8149.0) was released on 16 May 2003. The data are comparable to that included in the previous edition of this publication which was titled Human Resources in Science and Technology (HRST), Australia 1996.

Most of the information provided in the publication was derived from the Census of Population and Housing, supplemented by relevant data on Higher Education statistics (from Department of Education, Science and Training), Vocational Education Statistics (from National Centre for Vocational Education and Research), Labour Mobility statistics and Migration statistics (both from ABS).

The selected qualifications are Advanced diplomas, Bachelor degrees, Graduate certificates, Graduate diplomas, Master degrees or Doctoral degrees. The selected occupations are Specialist managers and Professionals; occupations where the above qualifications are normally required.

Data presented in the publication are organised into four chapters:

• Chapter 1 summarises the information presented in more detail in subsequent chapters.

• Chapter 2 presents stock information (counts at a point in time) compared with relevant population estimates.

• Chapter 3 focuses on statistics relating to persons with selected qualifications (such as age distribution, highest educational attainment, labour force status, year completed qualification, industry of employment and average annual income). Higher and Vocational Education statistics are also included as they represent the leading inflow into the stock of such qualified persons.

• Chapter 4 presents information from the selected occupation perspective (such as age distribution by industry, duration in current job etc). Permanent and Long term arrival and departure information on the stated selected occupations is also included.

• The number of persons with an Advanced diploma, Bachelor degree or higher degree (selected qualifications) and/or employed as Specialist managers or Professionals (selected occupations) was 3,054,000 persons in August 2001. This represented 21% of the population aged 15 years and over, up from 15% and 18% in 1991 and 1996 respectively.

• The percentage with selected qualifications increased from 11% in 1991 and 14% in 1996 to 16% in 2001, while the percentage in selected occupations increased from 10% in 1991 and 12% in 1996 to 13% in 2001.

• Of the persons with selected qualifications and/or in selected occupations in August 2001, 321,000 (11%) were persons born overseas who had not taken out Australian citizenship, with the main countries of origin being England (64,000), New Zealand (42,000) and India (19,000).

• By state and territory, persons with selected qualifications and/or in selected occupations in 2001 ranged from 16% to 22% of the population aged 15 years and over, with the exception of the Australian Capital Territory where the percentage was 36%.