ANZSCO comprehensive review - consultation round 1

From 1 February to 28 April 2023, the ABS opened public consultation seeking views on what changes should be made to selected occupations to inform the comprehensive review of the Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO).

This first round of consultation was an opportunity for users of the classification to provide feedback on occupations that fell within the following focus areas¹:

 ¹Note, occupation focus areas are designed for consultation purposes only and are not intended to be a permanent feature of the classification structure. 

Organisations and individuals were invited to make submissions about the accuracy of current occupation skill levels and descriptions and any occupations anticipated to emerge in the next 5 to 10 years.

The ABS received over 190 submissions, including valuable feedback from all levels of government, businesses, industry bodies/associations, academics, and individuals.

To inform the classification changes, collaborative workshops were organised for various occupation focus areas.  These workshops attracted a wide range of stakeholders eager to participate and contribute their expertise, ultimately enhancing the quality of occupation information within their respective fields.

Feedback received recommended improvements to occupation descriptions and classification structures. It also highlighted the evolution of certain occupations and the emergence of diverse fields and unique jobs that stakeholders would like to see included in the classification. An important topic that resonated with stakeholders was the evolving skill level requirements for different occupations and how these requirements have changed over time.

To keep stakeholders informed of how their input is influencing changes to the classification we have published our preliminary view of proposed change from Consultation round one. These are presented in the Publish Results section below.

Since the first iteration of this document was published, minor updates have been made to a handful of occupations. We have updated the format and contents based on stakeholder feedback and further research. The format of the document has been updated to improve usability based on feedback received and a preliminary proposed changes document has now been created for each focus area.

These changes reflect the collaborative efforts and insights provided by stakeholders, ensuring that the classification remains relevant and responsive to user requirements and accurately represents the evolving landscape of the Australian labour market.

A final consultation round from 25 July to 6 September 2024 will allow users an opportunity to provide feedback on the complete set of proposed changes to the classification structure before finalising the classification for release in December 2024. The newly proposed structure includes reorganising or consolidating existing occupation groups, creating new groups for emerging occupations, or adapting the structure to better reflect the relationships between occupations.