As technology, preferences and social and economic conditions change over time, so do the skills required to do a particular job. Changes in technology require workers to learn new skills to work productively with new tools. For example, with the rise in remote work, mentions of video and web-conferencing skills in job advertisements have more than doubled since 2019.
The top skills requested across online job advertisements are communication; initiative and leadership; and personal attributes (which include attitudes and behaviours such as attention to detail, organisational skills, multi-tasking, enthusiasm and willingness to learn). This highlights the importance employers place on interpersonal and intrapersonal skills, and their prevalence across the labour market.
Figure 3.1
Other common skills include widely applicable business skills such as business management, project management, customer service and general sales practices. These skills are widely used across different industries and occupations. Teaching is also a widely requested skill – mentioned in 14 per cent of job advertisements – and is prevalent both within the education industry and other occupations where employers look for workers who can teach and mentor junior staff.
Interpersonal and intrapersonal skills have grown in importance since 2018. In 2024, about half of employers specify communication skills in their job advertisements. This is up from two in five in 2018. The importance of initiative and leadership and personal attributes have also increased since 2018.
Figure 3.2
Similar patterns are observed for occupations where Vocational Education and Training (VET) is the most common pathway. Personal attributes are the second most-demanded, behind communication skills but ahead of initiative and leadership.
Figure 3.3
Across occupation groups, employers value employability skills but prioritise specific interpersonal and intrapersonal skills depending on the role. Communication is the top requested skill for four of the eight occupation groups, and second most requested for two other occupation groups.
Figure 3.4
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