Tourism & Hospitality

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Tourism has been identified as one of Australia’s ‘high-growth’ sectors over the next two decades, while employment in the hospitality sector is forecast to grow considerably over the next three years. Taken together, the two sectors make up one of our most important industries. If you enjoy meeting new people and trying new things, you’ll be amazed at the career choices available to you in this dynamic and exciting industry sector.

Contribution to the Australian economy

Accommodation and Food Services

Industry Value

$40.6 billion

Gross value added

People Employed

967,000

People employed in the sector

Business Trading

90,283

Businesses trading in the sector

Tourism

Industry Value

$49 billion

Gross value added

People Employed

580,200

People employed in the sector

Business Trading

273,512

Businesses trading in the sector

* Statistics sourced from Australian Bureau of Statistics and Australian Government Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources. For more information, please refer to the Statistics Explained page.

THERE ARE MANY WAYS TO SUCCEED. Real Skills for Real Careers



Sectors & Occupations

The tourism sector employs a range of different workers to facilitate leisure activities away from the ‘home’ environment, while the hospitality sector employs a wide range of people to provide accommodation, food and beverage services. Many of these people gained their practical skills through ‘real life’ vocational education and training (VET) courses.

Check out a sample of the most popular occupations in each sector. Click on them for more information.


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Apprenticeships & Traineeships

Australian Apprenticeships (apprenticeships and traineeships) are an important part of VET. Gaining a VET qualification through an Australian Apprenticeship gives you the opportunity to train, study and earn an income at a variety of qualification levels in most occupations. Australian Apprenticeships combine time at work with training, and can be full-time, part-time or school-based.

Search Apprenticeship & Traineeship Courses in this Industry

Career Stories

VET delivers outstanding employment results for its graduates – watch the following stories and see for yourself. You will be amazed at the career pathways that a VET qualification can unlock for you in the tourism and hospitality industry.


Pamela's Story - Video Thumbnail

Pamela's Story

"Follow your dream because you'll find all the support you could possibly want. If it's your passion go for it. Don't hesitate, you'd be surprised at what you can accomplish. I would never have imagined myself here today, standing in this uniform and doing what I do. It's my dream job."

VET Qualification: Certificate IV in Tourism (Guiding)

Career: Tourism Guide

Pamela Glover is passionate about sharing her culture and has always loved telling the stories of her Indigenous background. While in her 50s, Pamela enrolled in a Certificate III in Tourism (Guiding) at TAFE and later became employed by the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service as a Discovery Guide and delivers culturally based commentary to the groups she leads. She has also completed a Certificate IV in Tourism (Guiding).

Sammy’s Story - Video Thumbnail

Sammy’s Story

“During my school-based apprenticeship I found a passion for an industry that I was thriving in.”

VET Qualification: Certificate III in Hospitality

Career: Student

Sammy undertook a school-based apprenticeship during Year 10 and discovered a passion for tourism and hospitality. It was an industry she could understand, and it allowed her to complete her Tasmanian Certificate of Education while at the same time gaining valuable industry knowledge and experience.

Matt’s Story - Video Thumbnail

Matt’s Story

“Just being able to finish that apprenticeship was an amazing achievement in itself.”

VET Qualification: Certificate III in Commercial Cookery

Career: Head Chef

After a career that included management roles in both the public and private sector, Matt entered the hospitality industry at a later stage than most. He was extremely dedicated to his studies and completed his Certificate III in Commercial Cookery in just under two years. Matt is now Head Chef of a popular brewing company.

Skills for your Career

My Skills can help you find the right course to ignite your career in the tourism and hospitality industry. You can search for VET courses and compare information such as fees, durations, graduate satisfaction, job prospects and available subsidies.

There are a number of different ways to search for VET courses on My Skills.


Course Search

Search for keywords in course titles, such as ‘cookery’ or ‘guiding’:

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Careers in Demand

Chefs are currently in demand across Australia, so there’s a good chance of ongoing employment when you complete your training. If you want to set yourself up for a rewarding career, check out the following VET courses that will give you the practical skills you need to gain employment as a chef.

Data is sourced from the Australian Government Department of Education, Skills and Employment.



Growth Areas

Cafes, restaurants and take away food services are the largest employing sectors in the industry. If you’re interested in a hospitality career, the following VET courses are worth considering, because they will prepare you for work in areas where employment is expected to grow over the next three years.

Data has been sourced from the Australian Government Department of Education, Skills and Employment and SSO/IRC Industry Skills Forecasts (Tourism, Travel and Hospitality).



Resources

With so much information about careers, it’s hard to know where to start or where to look.
Here are a few sites you may find useful once you’ve found the right VET course and training provider on My Skills.


Australian Regional Tourism Network

The peak national body for regional tourism.

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Restaurant and Catering Australia

The peak industry body representing 35,000 cafes, restaurants and catering businesses across Australia.

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SkillsIQ

An independent Skills Service Organisation supporting a range of Industry Reference Committees to undertake training product development that ensures skills meet future industry needs.

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The Australian Industry and Skills Committee (AISC)

Provides leadership and guidance to the VET system, bringing a strong industry-based perspective which will enhance responsiveness, quality & relevance within the sector.

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Tourism Research Australia

Is a branch within the Tourism Division of Austrade and the leading provider of quality tourism intelligence across both international and domestic markets. 

Take Me There
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