Workforce Development

2007 National Skills Strategy

The National Skills Shortage Strategy was developed by the National Steering Committee, in consultation with local governments, with a view to focusing action and minimising the impact of skill shortages across rural, regional, urban and remote local governments.

The National Skills Shortage Strategy for Local Government was launched at the 2007 LGMA National Congress in Hobart.

Overview

Strategy Objectives

Four objectivess were indentified in the strategy, which form the basis of key initiatives for action:

• Leadership
• Image
• Careers
• Employer of Choice

Strategies for the Future - Recommendations for Action

Five key initiatives have been identified in the strategy for action by local government and the steering committee in collaboration with the state, territory and commonwealth governments:

1. Establishing a virtual Local Government Centre for Excellence (Leadership). The centre will provide a unique opportunity to showcase, promote and develop best practice in local government workplace development. The activities, information and tools that the centre would provide includes:

• Operating as information clearinghouse of activities being undertaken by local government across Australia
• To promote local government as a “great place to work”, by articulating the National Local Government Employer of Choice brand and value propositions
• Developing templates and guides of good practice in attraction, recruitment, training and human resources to facilitate benchmarking and develop responsive HR practices
• Providing a range of toolkits for local governments to promote local government work and careers at schools, tertiary institutions and local, national and international careers expos
• Facilitating or brokering exchange programs between local governments and with other sectors (public and private) within Australia and overseas.

2. Adopting "New Ways of Working" which address the demand drivers of skills shortage, including:

• Developing and adopting up-to-date employment practices and job design, for example: part-time work, job share and family-friendly work places
• Providing career pathways for ‘para-professionals’ to ensure that local government makes efficient and effective use of professional, skilled and technical staff
• Advocating for government funded incentives to attract and retain skilled staff in rural and remote regions, for example: taxation incentives.

3. Developing a range of local government training and professional development initiatives to address shortages in the supply of appropriately skilled workers. Initiatives would include:

• Research and analysis of local government career pathways and training and professional development needs
• Establishment of Local Government Group Training Enterprises to service groups of Local Governments. The Local Government Group Training Enterprises will:

- facilitate apprenticeships and traineeships in collaboration with training providers
- organise job placements
- provide supervision and support

• Development of training programs for the mature-aged workforce that encompasses up-skilling to enable experienced workers to act as mentors, coaches or trainers of newly-engaged workers.
• Professional development programs that facilitate upgrading current qualifications of local government staff
• Secondments and exchange programs between local governments and between sectors.

4. Attracting new workers, to address the decline in the natural rejuvenation of the Australian workforce. Two key recommendations to increase supply of local government workforce are:

• Promotion of local government within skilled migration programs, for example 1. LGMA becoming a designated national body to work with DIAC Industry Outreach Officers in assisting local governments to attract skilled migrants. 2. Developing regional skilled migration programs in collaboration with local chambers of industry and commence
• Developing employer demand demonstration projects at a regional level for the recruitment, employment and retention of under-utilised local populations groups, for example: people with a disability, sole parents, mature workers, the long-term unemployed, indigenous and refugee and migrant communities. The projects would include training, support and mentoring over a reasonably substantive period (up to 2 years) to sustain participation in the workforce.

5. Promoting local government an "Employer of Choice" to progress community understanding of local government as a responsive, community-engaged and multi-faceted sector with diverse and rewarding career opportunities. This would include:

• Developing a national local government careers brand for use in employment marketing and at career expos within Australian and overseas
• Establishing regional alliances between local government and chambers of industry and commerce to promote employment and lifestyle opportunities in regional Australia
• Developing a national local government ‘Employer of Choice’ designation

National Skills Shortage Strategy for Local Government

National Skills Shortage Strategy - Executive Summary, National Skills Shortage Strategy - Executive Summary

National Skills Shortage Strategy for Local Government - Full Version, National Skills Shortage Strategy for Local Government - Full Version