Business Leadership and Management

Training snapshot

Program enrolments in Business Leadership and Management-related qualifications decreased between 2017 and 2018 to around 100,960 but have increased since then to approximately 126,280 in 2021. Program completions have increased each year, from 29,870 in 2017 to 37,170 in 2021.

All enrolments in this sector in 2021 were at the certificate IV level or above, with the majority being at the diploma or higher level (around 98,830). In 2021, the majority of enrolments were in the area of leadership and management (87,230), with the rest in Project or Portfolio Management (32,390) and Human Resources Management (6,650). The main intended occupation was Corporate General Manager, followed by Program or Project Administrator and Office Manager.

In 2021, Business Leadership and Management-related qualifications were mainly delivered by private training providers (86%) and TAFE institutes (10%). There was a larger proportion of enrolments at TAFE institutes in qualifications in the field of Human Resources Management and Project or Portfolio Management than other fields in the sector (16% each). Half of all training was funded by international fee for service (50%), followed by domestic fee for service (32%), though at TAFE institutes the proportion of Commonwealth and state funding was higher (75%). The largest proportion of students in Business Leadership and Management-related qualifications were from overseas (51%), followed by New South Wales (19%) and Victoria (9%). Training was mainly delivered in New South Wales (46%), Victoria (26%) and Queensland (11%).

Apprentice and trainee commencements dropped by 93% between 2012 and 2018, rising slightly in 2019 before more than doubling in 2020 to reach 7,830. This figure has remained steady in 2021, at 7,870. Completions in this sector declined sharply between 2013 and 2017, and increased slightly in 2018 before declining to 1,080 in 2020. Completions have increased by almost three quarters (73%) in 2021, up to 1,880.

In this sector, apprentices and trainees tend to have the intended occupation of Office Manager or Corporate General Manager. New South Wales reported the highest proportion of apprentices and trainees enrolled in Business Management-related qualifications in 2021 (33%), followed by Victoria (20%) and Queensland (15%).

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Industry insights on skills needs

Job vacancy data indicates that the most in demand occupations for the Business Leadership and Management sector are Program or Project Administrator, Corporate General Manager, Contract Administrator, Office Manager and General Managers. The largest employers in this sector are predominantly governments, as well as the Commonwealth Bank of Australia. This data also show the key skills in demand from employers in the Business Leadership and Management sector are:

• Communication skills
• Planning
• Building effective relationships
• Problem solving
• Detail-orientated.

Jobs Queensland’s report Future Work for Small Business: Skills, Capabilities and Potential finds research and stakeholder engagement consistently identifies business, leadership, management and digital skills and capabilities as critical to the creation, viability and growth of small businesses.

These leadership and management skills can be a key contributor to enabling businesses to improve their viability, resilience, sustainability and capacity for growth; and are particularly important in enabling small businesses to harness opportunities and adapt to changing markets.

The Business Services IRC’s 2019 Skills Forecast identifies interpersonal and emotional intelligence skills as particularly important for leaders and managers to work with the increasingly diverse values and expectations of their team members. Globalisation and virtual teaming mean that workers do not need to be in the same geographic location to collaborate, so leaders and managers will need to develop the skills to navigate this environment along with other workers.

The Business Services IRC’s 2018 Skills Forecast suggests that the ability to drive organisational change in response to factors such as demographic shift or automation is key for those in this sector. For those operating in leadership and management roles in small-to-medium businesses, skills in finance, governance, data-driven decision-making and the use of digital platforms are important. Some businesses also face complex regulatory and compliance environments, which those in management positions must be aware of.

Below is a list of industry-relevant research, organisations and associations. Hyperlinks have been included where available.

IRC and skills forecasts

Business Services Industry Reference Committee

• Business Services IRC’s 2019 Skills Forecast

• Business Services IRC’s 2018 Skills Forecast

• IRC membership

• PwC’s Skills for Australia – Skills Service Organisation.

Relevant research

Benefits of Educational Attainment: Business Management Practice – Department of Education

Future Work for Small Business: Skills, Capabilities and Potential - Jobs Queensland

Industry associations and advisory bodies

Australian Institute of Company Directors

Australian Institute of Project Management

Governance Institute of Australia

Institute of Managers and Leaders

National Skills Commission 2022, Occupation Employment Projections viewed 10 August 2022, https://www.nationalskillscommission.gov.au/topics/employment-projections

• by ANZSCO, selected occupations, employment projections to May 2026
  
  • 5111 Contract, Program and Project Administrators
  • 1112 General Managers
  • 5121 Office Managers.

Australian Bureau of Statistics 2022, 6291.0.55.001 - EQ08 - Employed persons by Occupation unit group of main job (ANZSCO), Sex, State and Territory, August 1986 onwards, viewed 1 August 2022, https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/labour/employment-and-unemployment/labour-force-australia-detailed/may-2022

• Employed total by ANZSCO 4 digit selected occupations, 2002 to 2022, May Quarter
  
  • 5111 Contract, Program and Project Administrators
  • 5121 Office Managers
  • 1112 General Managers.

Training data has been extracted from the National VET Provider Collection, Total VET Students and Courses from the following training package or qualifications:

• BSA Administration and BSB Business Services Training Packages
• Human Resources Management
  
  • BSB50320 - Diploma of Human Resource Management
  • BSB50607 - Diploma of Human Resources Management
  • BSB50613 - Diploma of Human Resources Management
  • BSB50615 - Diploma of Human Resources Management
  • BSB50618 - Diploma of Human Resources Management
  • BSB60320 - Advanced Diploma of Human Resource Management
  • BSB60907 - Advanced Diploma of Management (Human Resources)
  • BSB60915 - Advanced Diploma of Management (Human Resources)
• Leadership and Management
  
  • BSB31207 - Certificate III in Frontline Management
  • BSB40520 - Certificate IV in Leadership and Management
  • BSB40807 - Certificate IV in Frontline Management
  • BSB40812 - Certificate IV in Frontline Management
  • BSB41004 - Certificate IV in Business (Frontline Management)
  • BSB42015 - Certificate IV in Leadership and Management
  • BSB50401 - Diploma of Business Management
  • BSB50420 - Diploma of Leadership and Management
  • BSB51001 - Diploma of Business (Frontline Management)
  • BSB51004 - Diploma of Business (Frontline Management)
  • BSB51107 - Diploma of Management
  • BSB51915 - Diploma of Leadership and Management
  • BSB51918 - Diploma of Leadership and Management
  • BSB60407 - Advanced Diploma of Management
  • BSB60420 - Advanced Diploma of Leadership and Management
  • BSB61015 - Advanced Diploma of Leadership and Management
  • BSB80120 - Graduate Diploma of Management (Learning)
  • BSB80215 - Graduate Diploma of Strategic Leadership
  • BSB80315 - Graduate Certificate in Leadership Diversity
  • BSB80320 - Graduate Diploma of Strategic Leadership
  • BSB80515 - Graduate Certificate in Management (Learning)
  • BSB80615 - Graduate Diploma of Management (Learning)
• Project or Portfolio Management
  
  • BSB40920 - Certificate IV in Project Management Practice
  • BSB41507 - Certificate IV in Project Management
  • BSB41513 - Certificate IV in Project Management Practice
  • BSB41515 - Certificate IV in Project Management Practice
  • BSB50820 - Diploma of Project Management
  • BSB51407 - Diploma of Project Management
  • BSB51413 - Diploma of Project Management
  • BSB51415 - Diploma of Project Management
  • BSB60707 - Advanced Diploma of Project Management
  • BSB60720 - Advanced Diploma of Program Management
  • BSB61215 - Advanced Diploma of Program Management
  • BSB61218 - Advanced Diploma of Program Management
  • BSB80220 - Graduate Diploma of Portfolio Management
  • BSB80415 - Graduate Diploma of Portfolio Management.

This includes superseded qualifications and training packages.

Data covers a range of selected student and training characteristics in the following categories and years:

• 2017 to 2021 program enrolments
• 2017 to 2021 program completions
• 2021 subject enrolments

Total VET students and courses data is reported for the calendar year. Program enrolments are the qualifications, courses and skill-sets in which students are enrolled in a given period. For students enrolled in multiple programs, all programs are counted. Program completion indicates that a student has completed a structured and integrated program of education or training. Location data uses student residence. Subject enrolment is registration of a student at a training delivery location for the purpose of undertaking a module, unit of competency or subject. For more information on the terms and definitions, please refer to the Total VET students and courses: terms and definitions document.

Low counts (less than 5) are not reported to protect client confidentiality.

Percentages are rounded to one decimal place. This can lead to situations where the total sum of proportions in a chart may not add up to exactly 100%.

BSA Administration and BSB Business Services Training Packages apprentice and trainee data has been extracted from the National Apprentice and Trainee Collection, including:

• 2012 to 2021 commencements
• 2012 to 2021 completions
• apprentices and trainees in-training October to December 2021 collection, by qualification and state and territory of data submitter.

Job vacancy data have been extracted from Lightcast 2022, Labor Insight Real-time Labor Market Information Tool, Boston, viewed August 2022, https://lightcast.io/apac.

Data shown represent most requested generic skills, occupations and employers according to internet job postings in Australia between July 2019 and June 2022 filtered by ANZSIC and ANZSCO classification levels listed below. ANZSCO occupations have been used as industry filters because they provide more relevant job vacancy data for this sector.

• Generic skills / Occupations

• 5111 Contract, Program and Project Administrators
• 1112 General Managers
• 5121 Office Managers

• Employers

• 511112 Program or Project Administrator
• 111211 Corporate General Manager
• 511111 Contract Administrator
• 512111 Office Manager
• 111200 General Managers nfd.