ANZSCO2512-14Australian Capital Territory

SonographerMay 2017

Labour Market Research and Analysis Branch

Department of Employment

Current labour market ratingShortage

Previous labour market rating (June 2016)Shortage

Comments

Employers attract few applicants and experience significant difficulty filling their vacancies.

Survey results[1]

  • Consistent with previous years’ results, employers recruiting for sonographers in the ACT continued to attract few applicants in 2017.
  • There was 1.0 applicant, on average, per vacancy, butjust half of the applicants were considered by employers to be suitable.
  • Some surveyed employers did not attract any applicants and employers often advertised their vacancies multiple times.
  • Reflecting the small applicant fields, few vacancies were filled (17 per cent).
  • Employers have been experiencing ongoing difficulties recruiting these professionals over recent years.
  • There has consistently been fewer than 1.0 suitable applicant per vacancy on average.
  • The proportion of vacancies filled has varied a little year to year, but has not exceeded
    50 per cent.

Demand and supply trends

  • This is a small labour market with 89 active sonographers registered in the ACT at June 2017.[2]
  • Sonographer is not a registrable occupation with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency, but employers generally required sonographers who had endorsement from the Australian Sonographers Accreditation Registry (ASAR).
  • Training is commonly through a degree in a relevant health discipline, such as medical imaging, followed by a post-graduate qualification (either a graduate diploma or master’s degree) in sonography accredited by ASAR.
  • Accredited courses are not offered in the ACT, but are available by distance education and other flexible delivery modes.[3]
  • There were 18 accredited student sonographers active in the ACT atJune 2017.[4]

Labour Market Research and Analysis Branch

Department of Employment

[1] The methodology underpinning this research is outlined at Skill Shortage Research Methodology | Department of Employment - Document library, Australian Government and can also be accessed by the QR code

[2]ASAR, Registration Directory, (last accessed 13 June 2017)

[3]ASAR, ASAR Accredited Qualifications, (last accessed 13 June 2017)

[4]ASAR, Registration Directory, (last accessed 13 June 2017)