Careers in laboratories are on the rise in Australia. Combined job growth in the Health Care, Scientific and Technical Services, and Construction industries is expected to top 480,000 new jobs in the next five years. Making the decision to enrol in a nationally recognised laboratory course is a fantastic investment in your future and will propel you towards a multitude of job prospects.
Career opportunities for lab course graduates are incredibly varied, from working in the medical field analysing blood samples, to testing food samples in private laboratories, or working alongside engineers to quality test construction and manufacturing materials. Whatever path you choose, rapid progression is forecast for skilled lab technicians in the workforce.
Biotechnology
A career as a biotechnology lab technician could see you testing DNA and examining cell cultures, or splicing genes as part of a laboratory’s research product development team.
With the Government supporting and encouraging growth and development of the biotechnology industry, partaking in a lab course now will propel you towards a career with fantastic opportunities.
Biotechnology lab technicians are in demand from educational services companies, scientific research firms, government agencies, and pharmaceutical companies, to name a few. Advancements in biotechnology make this a hugely exciting field to work in – imagine being part of a lab team making advancements in cancer treatment!
Medicine
Medical laboratory technicians play an important role in the prevention and diagnosis of diseases including cancer, diabetes, and AIDS. The tests they conduct can assist in the identification of diseases, and specialties can include:
Microbiology
Clinical chemistry
Blood banking
Life Sciences
Immunology
Haematology
With more hospitals being built, private labs are booming and employment growth for Medical Technicians, including Laboratory Technicians, is forecast to be very strong. The life sciences field is also growing (think DNA sequencing, ancestry investigations), and self-testing for is diseases becoming more mainstream. All of this means fantastic prospects for lab techs qualified through a recognised laboratory course.
Food Testing
Food companies rely on thorough, measured testing to ensure their product is safe for consumption. Working in the food testing industry is a global career but especially interesting in Australia thanks to our strict food safety standards. There are nearly 10,000 employed as Chemists, and Food and Wine Scientists across Australia right now.
Rapidly evolving food markets and trends are leading to stronger public interest and tighter regulations around food quality, and the role of Food Lab Technicians are essential to this. For instance, should a company need to prove their products are gluten free, Lab Techs will be responsible for testing and regulating samples to confirm this.
Construction
Graduates of a lab tech course or diploma can work with manufacturing and construction materials alongside engineers. This position could see you working as part of a research team to test the quality of manufactured products in an industry forecast to grow by 8% in the next five years. This role will also mean resolving any issues and solving problems in the manufacturing, construction, research and development, and maintenance.
A career with a future
Working in a scientific field will ensure you are continually learning and expanding your skills in a burgeoning industry. Laboratory tech courses give you the real-world skills and knowledge to find a job in a vast range of industries. Lab technician work is challenging, in demand, and overall incredibly rewarding. Best of all, you can work in pretty much any industry you choose!