Telecommunications Technology

Overview

This page provides information and data on the Telecommunications Technology sector, which is one component of the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) industry. Telecommunications Technology includes cabling, wireless, switching, transmission, radio frequency, optical communications, media and internet protocol networks. Workers in this sector are likely to either work as contractors or to be embedded in a large telecommunications company. This makes it difficult to accurately describe what this workforce is like at an occupational level.

Vocational education and training (VET) is required in the Telecommunications Technology sector for occupations such as:

Telecommunications Engineering Professionals
Telecommunications Technical Specialists
Electronics Trades Workers
Telecommunications Trades Workers.

Nationally recognised training for Telecommunications Technology is delivered under the ICT – Information and Communications Technology Training Package and ICT10 – Integrated Telecommunications Training Package.

For information on other ICT sectors, see Programming Software and Web Development, Digital Media, ICT Operations and Support and ICT Networks.

Information sourced from the Information and Communications Technology IRC’s 2019 Skills Forecast.

All data sources are available at the end of the page.

IRC and Skills Forecasts

Employment trends

Employment snapshot

The employment level for the Telecommunications Services industry group has been fairly steady overall but increased to its highest level since 2006 in 2018 before falling again in 2019. However, employment numbers to 2024 are projected to increase slightly.

The highest proportion of the total workforce in the Telecommunications Services industry group is in the occupation of Telecommunications Trades Workers (almost 13% of the total). This occupation is projected to increase slightly in employment until 2024. For occupations in this industry sub-sector, employment growth projections until 2024 are highest for Telecommunications Engineering Professionals at almost 14%.

Training provider type
Funding source

Student location
Training delivery location

Commencements and completions
Qualification level and occupation
State and territory

Training snapshot

Program enrolments in Telecommunications Technology rose between 2015 and 2016 to a high of 15,980, but fell the subsequent year (2017) to 9,530 and again to 3,960 in 2018. Program completions in this sector followed a similar pattern, falling from a high of 3,070 in 2016 to 1,270 in 2018. The majority of enrolments in 2018 were at the certificate III level (2,930) compared to 540 at certificate IV level, 260 at certificate II and 240 at diploma level or higher.

In 2018 most enrolments were either in (telecommunications) Technology-related qualifications (88%) or (telecommunications) Network-related qualifications (10%) with Broad Telecommunications and Engineering and Management-related qualifications making up only 2%. The most common intended occupations for this sector were Electronic Instrument Trades Worker (General) (2,780) or Telecommunications Technical Officer or Technologist (540).

Almost all training in 2018 was conducted via private training providers (78%). Funding for subjects came in the most part from Commonwealth and state funding (62%) and domestic fee-for-service (34%). The majority of students were from New South Wales (30%), Queensland (28%) or Victoria (19%). Training was mainly delivered in New South Wales (30%), Queensland (29%) and Victoria (28%).

In 2018 there were 1,070 apprentice and trainee commencements and 710 completions in this sector. Commencement numbers are down from their peak in 2013 of 6,870. Completion numbers were at their highest in 2014 at 4,330.

In 2018, most apprentices and trainees in-training were in (telecommunications) Technology-related qualifications with the intended occupation of Electronic Instrument Trades Worker (General). The highest proportions of apprenticeships and traineeships were reported in New South Wales (39%), Queensland (27%) and Victoria (20%).

For more data specific to your occupation, industry or training package, visit NCVER’s VET students by industry. If you are prompted to log in, select cancel and you will continue to be directed to the program.

For more data specific to your region visit NCVER’s Atlas of Total VET.

If you are interested in extracting NCVER data to construct tables with data relevant to you, sign up for a VOCSTATS account.

Industry insights

For industry insights on skills needs and job vacancy data, see the Information and Communications Technology industry cluster page.

Links and resources

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

Data sources and notes

Department of Employment 2018, Employment Projections, available from the Labour Market Information Portal

by ANZSIC 3 digit 580 Telecommunications Services Industry, employment projections to May 2023
by ANZSCO, selected occupations, employment projections to May 2023
- 1351 ICT Managers
- 2633 Telecommunications Engineering Professionals
- 3132 Telecommunications Technical Specialists
- 3424 Telecommunications Trades Workers
- 6212 ICT Sales Assistants.

Australian Bureau of Statistics 2018, Employed persons by Industry group of main job (ANZSIC), Sex, State and Territory, November 1984 onwards, 6291.0.55.003 - EQ06, viewed 1 November 2018 http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/DetailsPage/6291.0.55.003May%202018?OpenDocument

Employed total by ANZSIC 3 digit 580 Telecommunications Services Industry, 2000 to 2018, May Quarter.

Australian Bureau of Statistics 2017, 2016 Census – employment, income and unpaid work, TableBuilder. Findings based on use of ABS TableBuilder data.

Employment level by 3 digit 580 Telecommunications Services Industry, and 4 digit level occupations to identify the relevant VET-related occupations in the industry as a proportion of the total workforce.

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

ICT Information and Communications Technology Training Package and ICT10 Integrated Telecommunications Training Package
Broad Telecommunications & Engineering & Management
- ICT20210 - Certificate II in Telecommunications
- ICT20213 - Certificate II in Telecommunications
- ICT30208 - Certificate III in Telecommunications
- ICT30210 - Certificate III in Telecommunications
- ICT30213 - Certificate III in Telecommunications
- ICT30510 - Certificate III in Telecommunications Rigging Installation
- ICT51015 - Diploma of Telecommunications Engineering
- ICT80315 - Graduate Certificate in Telecommunications
- ICT80515 - Graduate Diploma of Telecommunications and Strategic Management
Broadband
- ICT20613 - Certificate II in National Broadband Network Construction
- ICT30110 - Certificate III in Broadband and Wireless Networks Technology
- ICT30113 - Certificate III in Broadband and Wireless Networks Technology
- ICT30610 - Certificate III in Broadband and Wireless Networks
- ICT30613 - Certificate III in Broadband and Wireless Networks
- ICT30713 - Certificate III in National Broadband Network Construction
Cabling
- ICT20310 - Certificate II in Telecommunications Cabling
- ICT20313 - Certificate II in Telecommunications Cabling
- ICT30310 - Certificate III in Telecommunications Cabling
- ICT30313 - Certificate III in Telecommunications Cabling
Digital Reception Technology
- ICT20410 - Certificate II in Telecommunications Digital Reception Technology
- ICT20413 - Certificate II in Telecommunications Digital Reception Technology
- ICT30215 - Certificate III in Telecommunications Digital Reception Technology
- ICT30410 - Certificate III in Telecommunications Digital Reception Technology
- ICT30413 - Certificate III in Telecommunications Digital Reception Technology
Networks
- ICT20215 - Certificate II in Telecommunications Network Build and Operate
- ICT30415 - Certificate III in Telecommunications Network Build and Operate
- ICT40210 - Certificate IV in Telecommunications Network Engineering
- ICT40610 - Certificate IV in Telecommunications Networks Technology
- ICT40613 - Certificate IV in Telecommunications Networks Technology
- ICT50110 - Diploma of Optical Networks
- ICT50210 - Diploma of Telecommunications Network Engineering
- ICT60110 - Advanced Diploma of Optical Networks
- ICT60210 - Advanced Diploma of Telecommunications Network Engineering
- ICT60615 - Advanced Diploma of Telecommunications Network Engineering
- ICT70110 - Graduate Certificate in Telecommunications Network Engineering
- ICT80110 - Graduate Diploma of Telecommunications Network Engineering
- ICT80415 - Graduate Diploma of Telecommunications Network Engineering
- ICT80615 - Graduate Certificate in Telecommunications Network Engineering
Technology
- ICT20113 - Certificate II in Telecommunications Technology
- ICT20315 - Certificate II in Telecommunications Technology
- ICT30515 - Certificate III in Telecommunications Technology
- ICT41215 - Certificate IV in Telecommunications Engineering Technology.

This includes superseded qualifications and training packages.

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

2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 program enrolments
2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 program completions.

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%.

ICT Information and Communications Technology Training Package and ICT10 Integrated Telecommunications Training Package apprentice and trainee data has been extracted from the National Apprentice and Trainee Collection, including::

2010 to 2018 commencements
2010 to 2018 completions
2018 apprentices and trainees in-training October to December 2018 collection, by qualification and state and territory of data submitter.

Updated: 31 Mar 2020