Implications of occupational therapy job advertisement trends for occupational therapy education

Introduction: The aim of this study was to consider trends in occupational therapy workplace demands in Queensland between December 2009 and November 2011, as demonstrated by advertised job requirements. These trends are considered in the context of both undergraduate curriculum design and continuing professional development. Method:A mixed-methods approach was used. The content of occupational therapy job advertisements from four job databases over a 2-year period were examined using quantitative and qualitative analysis to identify trends, concepts, and themes. Results: Six lessons regarding occupational therapy education were drawn from the data. These included lessons relating to balancing graduate demand and supply, intake and exit timing, high-demand areas of practice, non-traditional occupational therapy roles, the roles of continuing professional development providers, and discrepancies between existing new graduate competencies and required workplace competencies. Conclusion: Occupational therapy educators have an obligation to produce graduates who meet the profession's graduate competencies, as well as those competencies required by workplaces, if those graduates are to be considered work-ready and fit for practice. Similarly, education at a continuing professional development level should reflect market trends and offer graduates and practitioners the opportunity to maintain employment currency.