Overview
All Vocational Education Teachers
-
$1,790 Weekly Pay
-
Moderate Future Growth
-
34,600 workers Employment Size
-
Very high skill Skill level rating
-
58% Full-Time Full-Time Share
-
42 hours Average full-time
-
50 years Average age
-
51% female Gender Share
Vocational Education Teachers teach one or more subjects within a prescribed course of study at technical and further education (TAFE) institutes, polytechnics and other training institutes to tertiary students for vocational education and training purposes.
Specialisations: Adult Education Teacher, TAFE Lecturer, TAFE Teacher, Workplace Trainer and Assessor.
A formal qualification and extensive practical or industry experience in your area of expertise is usually needed to become a Vocational Education Teacher. You also need to complete a Certificate IV in Training and Assessment.
Tasks
- identifying the various needs of students and creating effective learning options to meet these needs
- liaising with individuals, industry and education sectors to ensure provision of relevant programs and services
- planning, designing and developing course curriculum and method of instruction
- advising students on courses and related matters
- teaching students using teaching aids including presentation of lesson materials, discussions, workshops, laboratory sessions, multimedia aids and computer tutorials
- marking and grading students' assignments, papers and exams and providing feedback to students about their progress
- maintaining records of students' progress, attendance and training activities
- consulting with Education Managers, Librarians, Student Counsellors and other support staff
Prospects
There were 34,600 Vocational Education Teachers in 2020. The number of workers:
- grew strongly over the past 5 years
- is expected to grow over the next five years
- is likely to reach 36,400 by 2025.
Source: ABS Labour Force Survey, seasonally adjusted data to November 2020 and National Skills Commission Employment Projections to 2025. The number employed includes people who work in this occupation as their main job. People who work in more than one job are counted against the occupation they work the most hours in.
Employment Snapshot
- Size: This is a large occupation.
- Location: Vocational Education Teachers work in many regions of Australia.
- Industries: Most work in Education and Training; Health Care and Social Assistance; and Public Administration and Safety.
- Earnings: Full-time workers on an adult wage earn around $1,790 per week (higher than the average of $1,460). Earnings tend to be lower when starting out and higher as experience grows.
- Full-time: More than half work full-time (58%, similar to the average of 66%), but there are many opportunities to work part-time.
- Hours: Full-time workers spend around 42 hours per week at work (compared to the average of 44 hours).
- Age: The average age is 50 years (compared to the average of 40 years). Many workers are 45 years or older (65%).
- Gender: 51% of workers are female (compared to the average of 48%).
Employment Outlook
Source: ABS Labour Force Survey, ABS seasonally adjusted data to November 2020 and National Skills Commission Employment Projections to 2025.
Weekly Earnings
Source: Based on ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours (cat. no. 6306.0), May 2018, Customised Report. Median weekly total cash earnings for full-time non-managerial employees paid at the adult rate. Earnings are before tax and include amounts salary sacrificed. Earnings can vary greatly depending on the skills and experience of the worker and the demands of the role. These figures should be used as a guide only, not to determine a wage rate.
Main Industries
Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Industries are based on the Australian and New Zealand Standard Industrial Classification (ANZSIC 06).
States and Territories
NSW
VIC
QLD
SA
WA
TAS
NT
ACT
Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Share of workers across Australian States and Territories, in this job compared to the all jobs average.
Age Profile
Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.
Education Level
Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.
Pathways
A formal qualification and extensive practical or industry experience in your area of expertise is usually needed to become a Vocational Education Teacher. You also need to complete a Certificate IV in Training and Assessment.
Before starting a course, check it will provide you with the skills and qualifications you need. Visit
- Course Seeker to search and compare higher education courses.
- ComparED to compare undergraduate and postgraduate student experiences and outcomes.
- My Skills to compare Vocational Education and Training (VET) courses, providers and student outcomes.
- AAPathways website to explore Training and Education VET training pathways.
Skills & Knowledge
Employers look for Vocational Education Teachers who are trustworthy and responsible, motivated and have good interpersonal skills.
Filter Skills & Knowledge
Knowledge
These are important topics, subjects or knowledge areas.
-
Education and training
Curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
-
Customer and personal service
Understanding customer needs, providing good quality service, and measuring customer satisfaction.
-
English language
English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
-
Psychology
Human behaviour; differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; research methods; assessing and treating disorders.
-
Personnel and human resources
Recruiting and training people, managing pay and other entitlements (like sick leave), and negotiating pay and conditions.
-
Therapy and counselling
Diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and career counselling and guidance.
-
Clerical
Word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office work.
-
Administration and management
Business principles involved in strategic planning, leadership, and coordinating people and resources.
-
Sales and marketing
Showing, promoting, and selling including marketing strategy, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
-
Public safety and security
Use of equipment, rules and ideas to protect people, data, property, and institutions.
-
Sociology and anthropology
Group behaviour and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures and their history and origins.
-
Mathematics
Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics.
-
Communications and media
Media production, communication, and dissemination. Includes written, spoken, and visual media.
-
Chemistry
Chemical composition, structure, and properties. How chemicals are made, used, mixed, and can change.
-
Computers and electronics
Circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
-
Law and government
How our laws and courts work. Government rules and regulations, and the political system.
-
Technical design
Design techniques, tools, and principles used to make detailed technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
-
Fine arts
Compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.
-
Telecommunications
Transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
-
Medicine and dentistry
Diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities, including preventive health-care measures.
Skills
Skills can be improved through training or experience.
-
Instructing
Teaching people how to do something.
-
Learning strategies
Figuring out the best way to teach or learn something new.
-
Speaking
Talking to others.
-
Monitoring
Keeping track of how well work is progressing so you can make changes or improvements.
-
Reading comprehension
Reading work related information.
-
Active listening
Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
-
Critical thinking
Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
-
Writing
Writing things for co-workers or customers.
-
Active learning
Being able to use what you have learnt to solve problems now and again in the future.
-
Social perceptiveness
Understanding why people react the way they do.
-
Complex problem solving
Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
-
Persuasion
Talking people into changing their minds or their behaviour.
-
Coordination with others
Being adaptable and coordinating work with other people.
-
Judgment and decision making
Figuring out the pros and cons of different options and choosing the best one.
-
Serving others
Looking for ways to help people.
-
Time management
Managing your own and other peoples' time to get work done.
-
Systems evaluation
Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.
-
Negotiation
Bringing people together and trying to sort out their differences.
-
Management of personnel resources
Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, and choosing the best people for the job.
-
Systems analysis
Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect it.
Abilities
Workers use these physical and mental abilities.
-
Oral expression
Communicate by speaking.
-
Oral comprehension
Listen to and understand what people say.
-
Speech clarity
Speak clearly so others can understand you.
-
Written comprehension
Read and understand written information.
-
Written expression
Write in a way that people can understand.
-
Deductive reasoning
Use general rules to find answers or solve problems logically.
-
Problem spotting
Notice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong, even if you can't solve the problem.
-
Near vision
See details that are up-close (within a few feet).
-
Sorting or ordering
Order or arrange things in a pattern or sequence (e.g., numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
-
Speech recognition
Identify and understand the speech of another person.
-
Inductive reasoning
Use lots of detailed information to come up with answers or make general rules.
-
Originality
Come up with unusual or clever ideas, or creative ways to solve a problem.
-
Categorising
Come up with different ways of grouping things.
-
Far vision
See details that are far away.
-
Brainstorming
Come up with a number of ideas about a topic, even if the ideas aren't very good.
-
Selective attention
Pay attention to something without being distracted.
-
Memorization
Remember things like words, numbers, pictures, and procedures.
-
Multitasking
Do two or more things at the same time.
-
Finger dexterity
Put together small parts with your fingers.
-
Flexibility of closure
See a pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) hidden in other distracting material.
Activities
These are kinds of activities workers regularly do in this job.
-
Working with the public
Greeting or serving customers, clients or guests, and public speaking or performing.
-
Handling and moving objects
Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, moving and manipulating objects.
-
Building good relationships
Building good working relationships and keeping them over time.
-
Training and teaching others
Understanding the needs of others, developing training programs, and teaching or instructing.
-
Coaching and developing others
Working out the needs of others and coaching, mentoring, or helping them to improve.
-
Keeping your knowledge up-to-date
Keeping up-to-date with technology and new ideas.
-
Coordinating the work of a team
Getting members of a group to work together to finish a task.
-
Thinking creatively
Using your own ideas for developing, designing, or creating something new.
-
Making decisions and solving problems
Using information to work out the best solution and solve problems.
-
Communicating within a team
Giving information to co-workers by telephone, in writing, or in person.
-
Planning and prioritising work
Deciding on goals and putting together a detailed plan to get the work done.
-
Negotiating and resolving conflicts
Handling complaints and disagreements, and negotiating with people.
-
Guiding and directing staff
Guiding and directing staff, including setting and monitoring performance standards.
-
Assessing and evaluating things
Working out the value, importance, or quality of things, services or people.
-
Researching and investigating
Looking for, getting and understanding different kinds of information.
-
Monitoring people, processes and things
Checking objects, actions, or events, and keeping an eye out for problems.
-
Helping and caring for others
Providing personal assistance, medical attention, or emotional support.
-
Communicating with the public
Giving information to the public, business or government by telephone, in writing, or in person.
-
Checking compliance with standards
Deciding whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
-
Leading and encouraging a team
Encouraging and building trust, respect, and cooperation among team members.

O*NET is a trademark of the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration.
The skills and importance ratings on this page are derived from the US Department of Labor O*NET Database Version 21.2, 25-1194.00 - Vocational Education Teachers, Postsecondary.
Work Environment
Learn about the daily activities, and physical and social demands faced by workers. Explore the values and work styles that workers rate as most important.
Filter Work Environment
Demands
The physical and social demands workers face most often are shown below.
-
Contact with people
Have contact with people by telephone, face-to-face, or any other way.
-
Face-to-face discussions
Talk with people face-to-face.
-
Freedom to make decisions
Have freedom to make decision on your own.
-
Physically close to people
Work physically close to other people.
-
Unstructured work
Have freedom to decide on tasks, priorities, and goals.
-
Contact with the public
Work with customers or the public.
-
Telephone
Talk on the telephone.
-
Teamwork
Work with people in a group or team.
-
Being exact or accurate
Be very exact or highly accurate.
-
Indoors, heat controlled
Work indoors with access to heating or cooling.
-
Public speaking
Talk to a group of people.
-
Lead or coordinate a team
Lead others to do work activities.
-
Spend time standing
Spend time standing at work.
-
Using your hands to handle, control, or feel
Spend time using your hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools or controls.
-
Frequent decision making
Frequently make decisions that impact other people.
-
Health and safety of others
Take responsibility for the health and safety of others.
-
Conflict situations
Deal with conflict or disagreements.
-
Angry or unpleasant people
Deal with unpleasant, angry, or rude people.
-
Impact of decisions
Make decisions that have a large impact on other people.
-
Responsible for outcomes
Take responsibility for the results of other people's work.
Values
Work values are important to a person’s feeling of satisfaction. All six values are shown below.
-
Achievement
Results oriented. Workers are able to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment.
-
Independence
Work alone and make decisions. Workers are able to try out their own ideas, make decisions on their own, and work with little or no supervision.
-
Relationships
Serve and work with others. Workers usually get along well with each other, do things to help other people, and are rarely pressured to do things that go against their sense of right and wrong.
-
Recognition
Advancement and the potential to lead. Workers are recognised for the work that they do, they may give directions and instructions to others, and they are looked up to in their company and their community.
-
Working conditions
Job security and good working conditions. There is usually a steady flow of interesting work, and the pay and conditions are generally good.
-
Support
Supportive management that stands behind employees. Workers are treated fairly by their company, they are supported by management, and have supervisors who train them well.
Interests
Interests are the style or type of work we prefer to do. All interest areas are shown below.
-
Helping
Working with people. Helping or providing service to others.
-
Practical
Practical, hands-on work. Often with plants and animals, or materials like wood, tools, and machinery.
-
Enterprising
Starting up and carrying out projects. Leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes require risk taking and often deal with business.
-
Analytical
Ideas and thinking. Searching for facts and figuring out problems in your head.
-
Creative
Working with forms, designs and patterns. Often need self-expression and can be done without following rules.
-
Administrative
Following set procedures and routines. Working with numbers and details more than with ideas, usually following rules.

O*NET is a trademark of the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration.
The skills and importance ratings on this page are derived from the US Department of Labor O*NET Database Version 21.2, 25-1194.00 - Vocational Education Teachers, Postsecondary.
All Vocational Education Teachers
-
$1,790 Weekly Pay
-
Moderate Future Growth
-
34,600 workers Employment Size
-
Very high skill Skill level rating
-
58% Full-Time Full-Time Share
-
42 hours Average full-time
-
50 years Average age
-
51% female Gender Share
Vocational Education Teachers teach one or more subjects within a prescribed course of study at technical and further education (TAFE) institutes, polytechnics and other training institutes to tertiary students for vocational education and training purposes.
Specialisations: Adult Education Teacher, TAFE Lecturer, TAFE Teacher, Workplace Trainer and Assessor.
A formal qualification and extensive practical or industry experience in your area of expertise is usually needed to become a Vocational Education Teacher. You also need to complete a Certificate IV in Training and Assessment.
Tasks
- identifying the various needs of students and creating effective learning options to meet these needs
- liaising with individuals, industry and education sectors to ensure provision of relevant programs and services
- planning, designing and developing course curriculum and method of instruction
- advising students on courses and related matters
- teaching students using teaching aids including presentation of lesson materials, discussions, workshops, laboratory sessions, multimedia aids and computer tutorials
- marking and grading students' assignments, papers and exams and providing feedback to students about their progress
- maintaining records of students' progress, attendance and training activities
- consulting with Education Managers, Librarians, Student Counsellors and other support staff
There were 34,600 Vocational Education Teachers in 2020. The number of workers:
- grew strongly over the past 5 years
- is expected to grow over the next five years
- is likely to reach 36,400 by 2025.
Source: ABS Labour Force Survey, seasonally adjusted data to November 2020 and National Skills Commission Employment Projections to 2025. The number employed includes people who work in this occupation as their main job. People who work in more than one job are counted against the occupation they work the most hours in.
Employment Snapshot
- Size: This is a large occupation.
- Location: Vocational Education Teachers work in many regions of Australia.
- Industries: Most work in Education and Training; Health Care and Social Assistance; and Public Administration and Safety.
- Earnings: Full-time workers on an adult wage earn around $1,790 per week (higher than the average of $1,460). Earnings tend to be lower when starting out and higher as experience grows.
- Full-time: More than half work full-time (58%, similar to the average of 66%), but there are many opportunities to work part-time.
- Hours: Full-time workers spend around 42 hours per week at work (compared to the average of 44 hours).
- Age: The average age is 50 years (compared to the average of 40 years). Many workers are 45 years or older (65%).
- Gender: 51% of workers are female (compared to the average of 48%).
Employment Outlook
Source: ABS Labour Force Survey, ABS seasonally adjusted data to November 2020 and National Skills Commission Employment Projections to 2025.
Weekly Earnings
Source: Based on ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours (cat. no. 6306.0), May 2018, Customised Report. Median weekly total cash earnings for full-time non-managerial employees paid at the adult rate. Earnings are before tax and include amounts salary sacrificed. Earnings can vary greatly depending on the skills and experience of the worker and the demands of the role. These figures should be used as a guide only, not to determine a wage rate.
Main Industries
Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Industries are based on the Australian and New Zealand Standard Industrial Classification (ANZSIC 06).
States and Territories
NSW
VIC
QLD
SA
WA
TAS
NT
ACT
Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Share of workers across Australian States and Territories, in this job compared to the all jobs average.
Age Profile
Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.
Education Level
Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.
A formal qualification and extensive practical or industry experience in your area of expertise is usually needed to become a Vocational Education Teacher. You also need to complete a Certificate IV in Training and Assessment.
Before starting a course, check it will provide you with the skills and qualifications you need. Visit
- Course Seeker to search and compare higher education courses.
- ComparED to compare undergraduate and postgraduate student experiences and outcomes.
- My Skills to compare Vocational Education and Training (VET) courses, providers and student outcomes.
- AAPathways website to explore Training and Education VET training pathways.
Employers look for Vocational Education Teachers who are trustworthy and responsible, motivated and have good interpersonal skills.
Filter Skills & Knowledge
Knowledge
These are important topics, subjects or knowledge areas.
-
Education and training
Curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
-
Customer and personal service
Understanding customer needs, providing good quality service, and measuring customer satisfaction.
-
English language
English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
-
Psychology
Human behaviour; differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; research methods; assessing and treating disorders.
-
Personnel and human resources
Recruiting and training people, managing pay and other entitlements (like sick leave), and negotiating pay and conditions.
-
Therapy and counselling
Diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and career counselling and guidance.
-
Clerical
Word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office work.
-
Administration and management
Business principles involved in strategic planning, leadership, and coordinating people and resources.
-
Sales and marketing
Showing, promoting, and selling including marketing strategy, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
-
Public safety and security
Use of equipment, rules and ideas to protect people, data, property, and institutions.
-
Sociology and anthropology
Group behaviour and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures and their history and origins.
-
Mathematics
Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics.
-
Communications and media
Media production, communication, and dissemination. Includes written, spoken, and visual media.
-
Chemistry
Chemical composition, structure, and properties. How chemicals are made, used, mixed, and can change.
-
Computers and electronics
Circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
-
Law and government
How our laws and courts work. Government rules and regulations, and the political system.
-
Technical design
Design techniques, tools, and principles used to make detailed technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
-
Fine arts
Compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.
-
Telecommunications
Transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
-
Medicine and dentistry
Diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities, including preventive health-care measures.
Skills
Skills can be improved through training or experience.
-
Instructing
Teaching people how to do something.
-
Learning strategies
Figuring out the best way to teach or learn something new.
-
Speaking
Talking to others.
-
Monitoring
Keeping track of how well work is progressing so you can make changes or improvements.
-
Reading comprehension
Reading work related information.
-
Active listening
Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
-
Critical thinking
Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
-
Writing
Writing things for co-workers or customers.
-
Active learning
Being able to use what you have learnt to solve problems now and again in the future.
-
Social perceptiveness
Understanding why people react the way they do.
-
Complex problem solving
Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
-
Persuasion
Talking people into changing their minds or their behaviour.
-
Coordination with others
Being adaptable and coordinating work with other people.
-
Judgment and decision making
Figuring out the pros and cons of different options and choosing the best one.
-
Serving others
Looking for ways to help people.
-
Time management
Managing your own and other peoples' time to get work done.
-
Systems evaluation
Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.
-
Negotiation
Bringing people together and trying to sort out their differences.
-
Management of personnel resources
Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, and choosing the best people for the job.
-
Systems analysis
Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect it.
Abilities
Workers use these physical and mental abilities.
-
Oral expression
Communicate by speaking.
-
Oral comprehension
Listen to and understand what people say.
-
Speech clarity
Speak clearly so others can understand you.
-
Written comprehension
Read and understand written information.
-
Written expression
Write in a way that people can understand.
-
Deductive reasoning
Use general rules to find answers or solve problems logically.
-
Problem spotting
Notice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong, even if you can't solve the problem.
-
Near vision
See details that are up-close (within a few feet).
-
Sorting or ordering
Order or arrange things in a pattern or sequence (e.g., numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
-
Speech recognition
Identify and understand the speech of another person.
-
Inductive reasoning
Use lots of detailed information to come up with answers or make general rules.
-
Originality
Come up with unusual or clever ideas, or creative ways to solve a problem.
-
Categorising
Come up with different ways of grouping things.
-
Far vision
See details that are far away.
-
Brainstorming
Come up with a number of ideas about a topic, even if the ideas aren't very good.
-
Selective attention
Pay attention to something without being distracted.
-
Memorization
Remember things like words, numbers, pictures, and procedures.
-
Multitasking
Do two or more things at the same time.
-
Finger dexterity
Put together small parts with your fingers.
-
Flexibility of closure
See a pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) hidden in other distracting material.
Activities
These are kinds of activities workers regularly do in this job.
-
Working with the public
Greeting or serving customers, clients or guests, and public speaking or performing.
-
Handling and moving objects
Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, moving and manipulating objects.
-
Building good relationships
Building good working relationships and keeping them over time.
-
Training and teaching others
Understanding the needs of others, developing training programs, and teaching or instructing.
-
Coaching and developing others
Working out the needs of others and coaching, mentoring, or helping them to improve.
-
Keeping your knowledge up-to-date
Keeping up-to-date with technology and new ideas.
-
Coordinating the work of a team
Getting members of a group to work together to finish a task.
-
Thinking creatively
Using your own ideas for developing, designing, or creating something new.
-
Making decisions and solving problems
Using information to work out the best solution and solve problems.
-
Communicating within a team
Giving information to co-workers by telephone, in writing, or in person.
-
Planning and prioritising work
Deciding on goals and putting together a detailed plan to get the work done.
-
Negotiating and resolving conflicts
Handling complaints and disagreements, and negotiating with people.
-
Guiding and directing staff
Guiding and directing staff, including setting and monitoring performance standards.
-
Assessing and evaluating things
Working out the value, importance, or quality of things, services or people.
-
Researching and investigating
Looking for, getting and understanding different kinds of information.
-
Monitoring people, processes and things
Checking objects, actions, or events, and keeping an eye out for problems.
-
Helping and caring for others
Providing personal assistance, medical attention, or emotional support.
-
Communicating with the public
Giving information to the public, business or government by telephone, in writing, or in person.
-
Checking compliance with standards
Deciding whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
-
Leading and encouraging a team
Encouraging and building trust, respect, and cooperation among team members.

O*NET is a trademark of the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration.
The skills and importance ratings on this page are derived from the US Department of Labor O*NET Database Version 21.2, 25-1194.00 - Vocational Education Teachers, Postsecondary.
Learn about the daily activities, and physical and social demands faced by workers. Explore the values and work styles that workers rate as most important.
Filter Work Environment
Demands
The physical and social demands workers face most often are shown below.
-
Contact with people
Have contact with people by telephone, face-to-face, or any other way.
-
Face-to-face discussions
Talk with people face-to-face.
-
Freedom to make decisions
Have freedom to make decision on your own.
-
Physically close to people
Work physically close to other people.
-
Unstructured work
Have freedom to decide on tasks, priorities, and goals.
-
Contact with the public
Work with customers or the public.
-
Telephone
Talk on the telephone.
-
Teamwork
Work with people in a group or team.
-
Being exact or accurate
Be very exact or highly accurate.
-
Indoors, heat controlled
Work indoors with access to heating or cooling.
-
Public speaking
Talk to a group of people.
-
Lead or coordinate a team
Lead others to do work activities.
-
Spend time standing
Spend time standing at work.
-
Using your hands to handle, control, or feel
Spend time using your hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools or controls.
-
Frequent decision making
Frequently make decisions that impact other people.
-
Health and safety of others
Take responsibility for the health and safety of others.
-
Conflict situations
Deal with conflict or disagreements.
-
Angry or unpleasant people
Deal with unpleasant, angry, or rude people.
-
Impact of decisions
Make decisions that have a large impact on other people.
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Responsible for outcomes
Take responsibility for the results of other people's work.
Values
Work values are important to a person’s feeling of satisfaction. All six values are shown below.
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Achievement
Results oriented. Workers are able to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment.
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Independence
Work alone and make decisions. Workers are able to try out their own ideas, make decisions on their own, and work with little or no supervision.
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Relationships
Serve and work with others. Workers usually get along well with each other, do things to help other people, and are rarely pressured to do things that go against their sense of right and wrong.
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Recognition
Advancement and the potential to lead. Workers are recognised for the work that they do, they may give directions and instructions to others, and they are looked up to in their company and their community.
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Working conditions
Job security and good working conditions. There is usually a steady flow of interesting work, and the pay and conditions are generally good.
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Support
Supportive management that stands behind employees. Workers are treated fairly by their company, they are supported by management, and have supervisors who train them well.
Interests
Interests are the style or type of work we prefer to do. All interest areas are shown below.
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Helping
Working with people. Helping or providing service to others.
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Practical
Practical, hands-on work. Often with plants and animals, or materials like wood, tools, and machinery.
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Enterprising
Starting up and carrying out projects. Leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes require risk taking and often deal with business.
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Analytical
Ideas and thinking. Searching for facts and figuring out problems in your head.
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Creative
Working with forms, designs and patterns. Often need self-expression and can be done without following rules.
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Administrative
Following set procedures and routines. Working with numbers and details more than with ideas, usually following rules.

O*NET is a trademark of the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration.
The skills and importance ratings on this page are derived from the US Department of Labor O*NET Database Version 21.2, 25-1194.00 - Vocational Education Teachers, Postsecondary.