Dear Cindy – Future in Kinesiology?

What would be the job prospects (in approximately six years) for a Canadian student who is currently in grade 10 (graduating high school in 2010) and thinking of pursuing a career in kinesiology?

Sincerely,

C

There are a variety of fields in which a kinesiologist may work –rehab, disability management, fitness and health promotion, research, equipment supply/sales, ergonomics, consulting, etc.

More options usually means more places to find work and so more jobs, but hard numbers are not easy to find. The national JobFutures.ca site is general, and doesn't provide a specific reference for kinesiologists. Under the Therapy and Assessment Professionals section, they write that employment is expected to be "good" (the best rating available) for this field through 2009, and that "The employment growth rate will likely be above average because of ongoing trends – a growing and aging population that requires more health services, technology advances that improve the ability to diagnose/treat diseases, and increased government funding for health care." Though they only forecast to 2009, the population continues to age, technology continues to advance, and healthcare continues to be funded.

Information on the Canadian Kinesiology Alliance/Alliance Canadienne de Kinésiologie's Kinesiology as a Career page suggests that they would agree that the future is promising; however, you may want to contact the Alliance to see if they have more specific information about job prospects for the field.