October 25, 2026 — 2:01pm

More than 130,000 degree-qualified jobs could be wiped out by AI within a decade, a sobering government report by the agency tasked with assessing the nation’s future skills has warned.

Jobs and Skills Australia has forecast “around 139,000” fewer jobs requiring a university degree in 10 years, with four of the top 10 occupations for graduates of commerce/management and society and culture at “medium risk” of automation.

Trades jobs are expected to peak in the coming decade as degree-qualified roles decline. Matthew Absalom-Wong

Futurist Michael McQueen said studying the humanities or forgoing university for a trade will give people entering the workforce an advantage over those in “highly cognitive but repetitive roles”.

Essential to future-proofing is letting go of the idea of “university as the ultimate and the ideal” and giving vocational jobs equal consideration, McQueen said.…