Laboratory Operations

The Laboratory Operations sector plays a supporting part across a range of industries such as agriculture, food, biotechnology, educational support laboratories, health, environmental management, construction, manufacturing and mining. Employees work in non-professional technical and scientific occupations, testing, laboratory work and sampling. The work areas are highly regulated and play a critical role in the safety, quality and compliance of many industry sectors.

What does this industry cover?

Australian food, wine and other beverages are experiencing an increased demand for exports to Asian countries and are underpinned by laboratory testing to meet the nationally agreed Food Standards Code.

Research into medical products, particularly pharmaceutical and vaccines, and rapid advances in genetics has led to a strong growth in the health sector.

Waste management, especially waste disposal and the need for Australian businesses to meet emission targets has seen a growth for the laboratory operations sector.

Job hunting preparation

The top priority skills in Laboratory Operations industry are: Point of Care Testing (PoCT) skillset, skill requirements for surgical cut-up, and skill requirements in genetics and molecular testing diagnostics.

The top five occupations in demand are: Laboratory Technician, Laboratory Assistant, Scientist, Theatre Technician, and Phlebotomist.

The Certificate IV in Laboratory Techniques qualification has the most traineeship commencements and the NSW, Victorian and Western Australian governments are the largest employers.

Information for further research

Industry information is published by peak level associations, government and major employers. Accessing industry association sites, including member lists, is a good way of building up an understanding of an industry. Visiting employer websites and looking for careers or employment menus helps identify how employers recruit and the skills they are recruiting.