Family Day Care Workers
Overview
Snapshot
Summary
Family Day Care Workers provide care and supervision for babies and children, usually in the carer's own home and under local government or community-based schemes.
Also known as: Family Day Carer.
A certificate III in early childhood education and care is usually needed to work as a Family Day Care Worker. This course is often completed as part of an apprenticeship.
Tasks
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Assists in the preparation of materials and equipment for children's education and recreational activities.
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Manages children's behaviour and guides children's social development.
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Prepares and conducts activities for children.
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Entertains children by reading and playing games.
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Supervises children in recreational activities.
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Supervises the daily routine of children.
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Supervises the hygiene of children.
Characteristics
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Vocational Education and Training (VET)
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Creative
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Helping
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Sedentary
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Light
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Medium
Outlook
JSA produces employment projections to show where likely future job opportunities may be. Employment projections data are only produced for occupations at the broad four digit Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO) level. While data are not available for this occupation, projections data are available for the parent occupation, Child Carers, under the outlook section.
Earnings and hours
Working arrangements
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Around 69% of people employed as Family Day Care Workers work full-time hours, in all their jobs combined. This is 3 percentage points above the all jobs average (66%).
Full-time workers work an average of 47 hours per week in their main job. This is 3 hours more than the all jobs average (44 hours per week).
Sources:Full-time share and full-time hours: ABS, 2016 Census, customised report. Compared to the all jobs average.
Industries
Main industries
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Most Family Day Care Workers work in the Health care and social assistance industry.
Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report.
Regions
Employment across Australia
NSW
VIC
QLD
SA
WA
TAS
NT
ACT
Employment by State and Territory (% Share)
State | Family Day Care Workers | All Jobs Average |
---|---|---|
NSW | 34.8 | 31.6 |
VIC | 32.8 | 25.6 |
QLD | 17.9 | 20.0 |
SA | 4.2 | 7.0 |
WA | 6.8 | 10.8 |
TAS | 1.9 | 2.0 |
NT | 0.6 | 1.0 |
ACT | 1.2 | 1.9 |
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Around 67% of Family Day Care Workers live in capital cities, compared with the all jobs average of 62%.
Victoria and New South Wales have a large share of employment relative to their population size.
The regions with the largest share of workers are:
Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Share of workers across Australian states, territories and regions, in this job compared to the all jobs average.
Worker profile
Age and gender
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The median age of Family Day Care Workers is 41 years. This is similar to the all jobs average of 40 years.
A large share of workers are aged 35 to 44 years.
Females make up 94% of the workforce. This is 46 percentage points above the all jobs average of 48%.
Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile and gender share compared to the all jobs average.
Age Profile (% Share)
Age Bracket | Family Day Care Workers | All Jobs Average |
---|---|---|
15-19 | 1.2 | 5.0 |
20-24 | 6.3 | 9.3 |
25-34 | 23.5 | 22.9 |
35-44 | 31.7 | 22.0 |
45-54 | 23.7 | 21.6 |
55-59 | 7.3 | 9.0 |
60-64 | 4.3 | 6.0 |
65 and Over | 1.9 | 4.2 |
Median Age | 41 | 40 |
Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.
Employment Pathways
Education, training and experience
A certificate III in early childhood education and care is usually needed to work as a Family Day Care Worker. This course is often completed as part of an apprenticeship.
Visit
- My Skills to compare Vocational Education and Training (VET) courses, providers and student outcomes.
- AAPathways website to explore Community Services VET training pathways.
Highest Level of Education (% Share)
Type of Qualification | Family Day Care Workers | All Jobs Average |
---|---|---|
Post Graduate/Graduate Diploma or Graduate Certificate | 8.1 | 10.1 |
Bachelor degree | 13.1 | 21.8 |
Advanced Diploma/Diploma | 30.6 | 11.6 |
Certificate III/IV | 28.0 | 21.1 |
Year 12 | 10.4 | 18.1 |
Year 11 | 1.7 | 4.8 |
Year 10 and below | 8.2 | 12.5 |
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.
Skills and Knowledge
Employers look for Child Carers who are caring, compassionate, empathetic, and interact well with others.
Skills
Skills can be improved through training or experience.
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50%
Social perceptivenessUnderstanding why people react the way they do.
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48%
Critical thinkingThinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
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48%
MonitoringKeeping track of how well work is progressing so you can make changes or improvements.
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46%
Active listeningListening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
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46%
SpeakingTalking to others.
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45%
Coordination with othersBeing adaptable and coordinating work with other people.
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45%
Judgment and decision makingFiguring out the pros and cons of different options and choosing the best one.
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45%
Serving othersLooking for ways to help people.
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45%
Active learningBeing able to use what you have learnt to solve problems now and again in the future.
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45%
Learning strategiesFiguring out the best way to teach or learn something new.
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45%
Time managementManaging your own and other peoples' time to get work done.
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43%
InstructingTeaching people how to do something.
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43%
Reading comprehensionReading work related information.
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43%
WritingWriting things for co-workers or customers.
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41%
NegotiationBringing people together and trying to sort out their differences.
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41%
PersuasionTalking people into changing their minds or their behaviour.
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39%
Complex problem solvingNoticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
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34%
Management of personnel resourcesMotivating, developing, and directing people as they work, and choosing the best people for the job.
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32%
Systems analysisFiguring out how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect it.
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29%
MathematicsUsing maths to solve problems.
Knowledge
These are important topics, subjects or knowledge areas.
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55%
Customer and personal serviceUnderstanding customer needs, providing good quality service, and measuring customer satisfaction.
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44%
Education and trainingCurriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
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42%
PsychologyHuman behaviour; differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; research methods; assessing and treating disorders.
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37%
ClericalWord processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office work.
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33%
English languageEnglish language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
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31%
Administration and managementBusiness principles involved in strategic planning, leadership, and coordinating people and resources.
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29%
Therapy and counsellingDiagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and career counselling and guidance.
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25%
Public safety and securityUse of equipment, rules and ideas to protect people, data, property, and institutions.
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24%
Personnel and human resourcesRecruiting and training people, managing pay and other entitlements (like sick leave), and negotiating pay and conditions.
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23%
Sales and marketingShowing, promoting, and selling including marketing strategy, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
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22%
Sociology and anthropologyGroup behaviour and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures and their history and origins.
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21%
Economics and accountingEconomics and accounting, the financial markets, banking and checking and reporting of financial data.
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21%
Communications and mediaMedia production, communication, and dissemination. Includes written, spoken, and visual media.
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20%
Computers and electronicsCircuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
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19%
MathematicsArithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics.
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19%
Medicine and dentistryDiagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities, including preventive health-care measures.
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17%
TransportationMoving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road.
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16%
Philosophy and theologyPhilosophical systems and religions, including their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and impact on society.
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15%
Law and governmentHow our laws and courts work. Government rules and regulations, and the political system.
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11%
Foreign languageForeign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.
Abilities
Workers use these physical and mental abilities..
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54%
Oral comprehensionListen to and understand what people say.
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50%
Oral expressionCommunicate by speaking.
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50%
Problem spottingNotice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong, even if you can't solve the problem.
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48%
Speech claritySpeak clearly so others can understand you.
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48%
Speech recognitionIdentify and understand the speech of another person.
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48%
Written comprehensionRead and understand written information.
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46%
Sorting or orderingOrder or arrange things in a pattern or sequence (e.g., numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
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46%
Written expressionWrite in a way that people can understand.
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46%
Inductive reasoningUse lots of detailed information to come up with answers or make general rules.
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45%
Near visionSee details that are up-close (within a few feet).
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45%
Selective attentionPay attention to something without being distracted.
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45%
CategorisingCome up with different ways of grouping things.
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45%
Deductive reasoningUse general rules to find answers or solve problems logically.
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45%
Far visionSee details that are far away.
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43%
OriginalityCome up with unusual or clever ideas, or creative ways to solve a problem.
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41%
BrainstormingCome up with a number of ideas about a topic, even if the ideas aren't very good.
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39%
Arm-hand steadinessKeep your hand or arm steady.
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39%
Flexibility of closureSee a pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) hidden in other distracting material.
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39%
MultitaskingDo two or more things at the same time.
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36%
MemorizationRemember things like words, numbers, pictures, and procedures.
Activities
These are kinds of activities workers regularly do in this job.
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73%
Helping and caring for othersProviding personal assistance, medical attention, or emotional support.
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65%
Building good relationshipsBuilding good working relationships and keeping them over time.
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60%
Communicating within a teamGiving information to co-workers by telephone, in writing, or in person.
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59%
Doing physically active workUse your arms, legs and whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling objects.
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55%
Handling and moving objectsUsing hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, moving and manipulating objects.
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54%
Monitoring people, processes and thingsChecking objects, actions, or events, and keeping an eye out for problems.
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51%
Planning and prioritising workDeciding on goals and putting together a detailed plan to get the work done.
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51%
Thinking creativelyUsing your own ideas for developing, designing, or creating something new.
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50%
Negotiating and resolving conflictsHandling complaints and disagreements, and negotiating with people.
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49%
Making decisions and solving problemsUsing information to work out the best solution and solve problems.
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46%
Communicating with the publicGiving information to the public, business or government by telephone, in writing, or in person.
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44%
Training and teaching othersUnderstanding the needs of others, developing training programs, and teaching or instructing.
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43%
Documenting or recording informationEntering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
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42%
Coaching and developing othersWorking out the needs of others and coaching, mentoring, or helping them to improve.
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42%
Coordinating the work of a teamGetting members of a group to work together to finish a task.
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39%
Keeping your knowledge up-to-dateKeeping up-to-date with technology and new ideas.
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39%
Checking for errors or defectsInspecting equipment, structures, or materials for errors, problems or defects.
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36%
Researching and investigatingLooking for, getting and understanding different kinds of information.
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35%
Looking for changes over timeComparing objects, actions, or events. Looking for differences between them or changes over time.
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31%
Checking compliance with standardsDeciding whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
Interests and demands
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.
Interests
Interests are the style or type of work we prefer to do. All interest areas are shown below.
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100%
HelpingWorking with people. Helping or providing service to others.
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71%
CreativeWorking with forms, designs and patterns. Often need self-expression and can be done without following rules.
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48%
AdministrativeFollowing set procedures and routines. Working with numbers and details more than with ideas, usually following rules.
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43%
EnterprisingStarting up and carrying out projects. Leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes require risk taking and often deal with business.
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38%
PracticalPractical, hands-on work. Often with plants and animals, or materials like wood, tools, and machinery.
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24%
AnalyticalIdeas and thinking. Searching for facts and figuring out problems in your head.
Values
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86%
RelationshipsServe 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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57%
IndependenceWork 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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57%
SupportSupportive management that stands behind employees. Workers are treated fairly by their company, they are supported by management, and have supervisors who train them well.
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48%
AchievementResults oriented. Workers are able to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment.
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40%
Working conditionsJob 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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38%
RecognitionAdvancement 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.
Demands
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97%
TeamworkWork with people in a group or team.
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92%
Contact with peopleHave contact with people by telephone, face-to-face, or any other way.
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92%
Face-to-face discussionsTalk with people face-to-face.
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91%
Physically close to peopleWork physically close to other people.
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85%
Indoors, heat controlledWork indoors with access to heating or cooling.
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82%
Freedom to make decisionsHave freedom to make decision on your own.
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81%
TelephoneTalk on the telephone.
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78%
Lead or coordinate a teamLead others to do work activities.
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78%
Unstructured workHave freedom to decide on tasks, priorities, and goals.
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77%
Health and safety of othersTake responsibility for the health and safety of others.
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75%
Letters and memosWrite letters and memos.
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75%
Loud or uncomfortable soundsBe exposed to noises and sounds that are distracting or uncomfortable.
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72%
Outdoors, exposed to weatherWork outdoors, exposed to the weather.
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70%
Frequent decision makingFrequently make decisions that impact other people.
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69%
Consequence of errorWork where mistakes have serious consequences.
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69%
Disease or infectionBe exposed to disease or infections.
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64%
Being exact or accurateBe very exact or highly accurate.
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64%
Responsible for outcomesTake responsibility for the results of other people's work.
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64%
Impact of decisionsMake decisions that have a large impact on other people.
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63%
Spend time standingSpend time standing at work.
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, 39-9011.00 - Childcare Workers.
Links and downloads
Research and reports
The Skills Priority List provides a current labour market rating and a future demand rating for nearly 800 occupations nationally. Current labour market ratings are available for occupations at a state and territory level.
Downloads
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Occupation profiles data are available for download.
The Employment Projections are available for download.