Ballarat and surrounds connects Melbourne with western Victoria. The Central Highlands region has natural assets, strong exports and heritage value. This makes it a prime location for investment.
Farming and manufacturing are key drivers of growth in the region. A fast growing population is also pushing up demand in service-based industries. For example, there is a need for more workers in education and community services.
As the centre of Victoria’s historical gold rush, Ballarat and surrounds draws crowds every year. Between tourism and investments in infrastructure and health care, more jobs are being created.
So whether you want to be an educator or tour guide, labourer or aged carer, Ballarat and surrounds has a job for you.
Training and careers in Ballarat and surrounds
TAFE and training providers in Ballarat and surrounds
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Future job growth in Ballarat and surrounds
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Local career stories
From mechanics to clean energy: how Andrew transferred his skills across careers
“My mechanical and electrical background was perfect for clean energy. As technicians, we’re constantly reskilling and learning to keep up, which means opportunities keep coming to try new things.”
Gabriel taps into a future-proof IT career
“Almost every industry needs IT experts, whether they’re in health, education, business or something else. If you study any kind of IT course, you open doors to lots of different jobs.”
Quick facts about Ballarat and surrounds
Population: 212,535^
Total new workers needed by 2026: 9,604*
Known for:
- Heritage and tourism
- Ballarat Art Gallery
- Sovereign Hill Living Museum
- Daylesford and Hepburn Springs tourist region
- Grampians (Gariwerd) National Park
- Pyrenees wine region.
Key industries:
- Accommodation and food services
- Administrative and support services
- Agriculture, horticulture and agribusiness
- Community services
- Construction
- Digital services, finance and IT
- Education and training services
- Health care
- Manufacturing.^
Local government areas:
- Ararat Rural City(opens in a new window)
- City of Ballarat(opens in a new window)
- Golden Plains Shire(opens in a new window)
- Hepburn Shire(opens in a new window)
- Moorabool Shire(opens in a new window)
- Pyrenees Shire(opens in a new window).
Official region name: Central Highlands
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Training and careers in growing industries
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Training and careers in your region
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^ Sourced from Central Highlands Regional Skills Demand Profile 2023
* Sourced from Victorian Skills Authority Employment Forecast Dashboard
Updated