About the health care and social assistance industry
About these reports
These reports provide a point in time, data-driven overview of the workforce and skills for each industry.
The report does not provide a complete view of workforce dynamics within the industry. Its purpose is to support ongoing efforts to address workforce and skilling demands and to identify opportunities within the health care and social assistance industry.
Report coverage
This report focuses on the health care and social assistance industry and the occupations relevant to the industry, categorised using the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) classification of industries (ANZSIC) and occupations (ANZSCO).
Coverage in this report is limited to employment in the industry and sectors as defined by the ABS, noting some occupations are almost exclusively associated with an industry, such as surgeons in the health services sector, while others, such as accountants, are associated with many industries.
Furthermore, industry classifications rarely encompass the full nature of the work (and therefore skills) associated with a given industry. Therefore, ABS definitions of industries or sectors may not align with the definitions used by an industry association.
Key sectors of the industry
The health care and social assistance industry provides essential care and services for all Victorians. These services ensure that fundamental human needs are met across a range of interconnected areas.
The key sectors within the health care and social assistance industry are:
- Early childhood education and care – includes before and after school care, family day care, kindergarten, long day care, occasional care, and nannying and babysitting
- Community services – includes aged care, disability care, family services and allied health workforce
- Housing and wellbeing – includes homelessness, out of home care, migrant support services, public health prevention, social and affordable housing, youth work, Aboriginal affairs and veterans affairs
- Hospital and medical services – includes ambulance, dentistry, general practice, hospitals, outpatient care, pathology, and diagnostic and public mental health services
- Allied health services – includes audiology, chiropractic, optometry, osteopathy, physiotherapy, pharmacy, psychology and speech pathology.
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