Is your Gen Z teen who’s about to graduate high school obsessed with gadgets, apps and machines?
Then a career in tech might be right up their alley.
And nope, they don’t need a degree in computer science to get their foot in the door to a tech career.
Here are 5 tech jobs your Gen Z teen can look into.
- Remote Systems Technician
How fun would it be getting behind the wheel of some of the world’s largest vehicles… virtually? While self-driving cars haven’t quite hit the road in Australia yet, self-driving trucks have been servicing some of Australia’s biggest mining and resources projects for years.
As a remote systems technician, your Gen Z child could have a future monitoring the performance of one (or even several) automated trucks, often operating thousands of kilometres away.
Yep – that means no FIFO (fly-in-fly-out) or DIDO (drive-in-drive-out). And you don’t even need a uni degree to get started.
- Virtual Reality Developer
You know that super cool video game effect where your character sees overlays and data about objectives or hazards as you walk about the futuristic streets? Well, that dream is becoming a reality at mining and resources sites in Australia and around the world.
While virtual reality (VR) usually refers to fully-designed 3D environments that you’d explore with a fully immersive set-up, the mining and resources industry actually uses it to create risk-free training environments and simulations – enabling teams to practise their skills safely before they get their hands on real equipment or materials.
If that sounds like a rewarding, fun career path to your Gen Z child, they might want to look into pursuing qualifications in areas such as 3D rendering or game design.
- Drone Operator
Given the explosion of reels shot by travel influencers and adventure brands on Instagram and TikTok, a drone’s (pretty cool) commercial uses are often overlooked.
For example, did you know that drones used in the mining and resources industry can create huge, super accurate 3D scans of project sites that allows project managers to more accurately check up on different aspects of the mine, from measuring stockpiles and flagging potential safety issues like road conditions, to assessing areas planned for drilling or blasting?
If your tech-sessed Gen Z teen is interested in becoming a drone operator, they’ll be working with drones waaaaay bigger than you’d see out at the park/beach/other exotic location – so will need a special licence to operate them.
- Mine and Site Design
Mines are a little more complicated than just digging a big hole in the ground, with so many factors needing to be considered when designing the layout of the site.
For example, mine designers need to think about the kind of resources being extracted and how they’re going to be retrieved (in a safe and efficient way), while keeping in mind the site’s legal and environmental requirements. Back in the day, this was approached with traditional drafting techniques. But these days? Site designers get all tech-y, using GPS data, satellite imagery and computer-aided design (CAD) tools to build layouts and schematics that’ll be used by engineers, construction teams and maintenance crews across the life-cycle of the mine.
- Extraction, construction and robotics operators
We know. These are some pretty cutting-edge tech professions – but there are still so many other career options for young Australians entering the workforce that don’t involve sitting at a desk.
If your Gen Z child would prefer to get their hands dirty while indulging in their passion for tech, why not explore the possibility of working on-site as an engineer, which means you’ll be interacting with some of Australia’s largest, most powerful and most advanced vehicles and equipment?
For example, they could be in the driver’s seat of a 500-tonne Hitachi dump truck, or become a HVAC operator who uses complex systems to make sure that the mine stays free of toxic gases that build up during activity. Want to know more about how you can help your child or another young person find the career which is right for them? Check out our free online course DigiSkills to learn more about careers in tech and Resourcefulness to learn more about careers in mining.
