National Workforce Project

Awareness Raising Workshops

Recruitment and Retention Toolkit

• Recruitment and Retention Toolkit (in full)
• A targeted marketing campaign
• Strengthening relationships with other stakeholders
• Job redesign
• Flexible working arrangements
• Attraction strategies
• Retention strategies
• Skill development

Data collection process

Online Survey

Project overview

National Workforce Project brochure

Presentations

Most Significant Change

• Summary of Round One Data from the Most Significant Change Technique

• Summary of Round Two Data from the Most Significant Change Technique

• Summary of Round Three Data from the Most Significant Change Technique

Pilot site process

Pilot site project reports

ACT Disability Workforce Working Group
The ACT Disability Workforce Working Group is a joint community and government body which is charged with a practical agenda of work based on four broad themes:

In 2009, the Workforce Working Group is reinvigorating its focus by developing and facilitating a workforce strategy for the ACT disability sector in partnership with the ACT community. The workforce strategy will be based on national best practice in response to current and project need that ensures a sustainable, stable and well-trained workforce. 

Joan Berry Scholarship
The Joan Berry Scholarship has already achieved a heightened awareness about the importance of encouraging staff within the disability sector to further their skills and education in order to establish a clear career path over the medium to long term. Each year, this scholarship will be awarded to the applicant best able to demonstrate their commitment to:

The only program of its kind in the ACT, the Joan Berry Scholarship represents practical support by NDS ACT of the disability sector.

Strengthening the Sector
Concluding in December 2009, the Strengthening the Sector project focuses on supporting the sustainability of the disability services sector in the ACT. The outcomes of the Human Resources component of the project will contribute to improved workforce practices across a range of key areas in both the short and long term. Focusing on practical tools for retention and attraction of staff as well as establishing a clear basis for a forward agenda of work which will drive wider workforce reform, Strengthening the Sector will draw on the Koomarri project which was undertaken as part of the NDS National Workforce project.

School Based Traineeships (SBT):
Valmar piloted the introduction of school based apprenticeships for disability work in the NDS National Workforce Project. A number of barriers and hurdles presented during the pilot, and the manner in which they were overcome is explored by Valmar to assist other organisations to implement School Based Traineeships.

NDS NSW has contracted the NSW CSH ITAB to produce a suite of resources to support the introduction of SBT’s in disability work. These resources will explain the processes involved in accessing SBT’s and what is required in terms of support from DADHC, DET and VET to ensure SBT’s are available to employers and students.

Productivity Places Program and SevenScope
Two related pieces of work also arose from the findings of the National Workforce Project – Accessing the Productivity Places Program (PPP) and the use of the Community Services and Health Industry Skills Council’s (CS&HISC) SevenScope training needs analysis tool.
The CS&HISC tool is robust, and if well utilised by the sector, will create a strong body of evidence on the training needs of the disability sector. Services are required to fill out a survey identifying potential areas of internal growth, and where further or additional skills are required to meet organisational needs.

The skill shortage in the Disability Sector is well recognised. Accessing the PPP is one means of alleviating the current skills shortage in the Disability Sector. The PPP training places will be allocated according to evidence of training needs identified by each industry.

The identification of the training needs of the Disability Sector is being coordinated through the Community Services & Health Industry Skills Council (CS&HISC), through the use of the SevenScope Tool.

Development of generic resources by NDS to assist in recruitment
Reporting from the NDS National Workforce Project suggests that organisations are having greater success with recruitment campaigns when they host information sessions that focus on the values of the organisation and provides introductory material about the disability sector.

Interaction Disability Services was the pilot site for using value based and generic induction materials and attraction strategies. They produced a targeted marketing campaign, aiming for 10 applicants.  Through the use of these resources, IDS received 170 applications. 
Following the success of the IDS pilot, NDS is proposing to develop a series of generic resources including information on the sector, trends, data etc, to assist organisations in their recruitment endeavours.

Capitalising on workforce project outcomes
The strategies that were piloted by Somerville Community Services during the National Workforce Project have provided NDS NT with the opportunity to develop clear insights into the workforce issues in the Northern Territory. These strategies investigated workforce retention, training and the provision of client focused service delivery models. Strategies included:

The body of work undertaken by the pilot site, including achievements and challenges, will be shared and progressed through the NDSNT Committee to inform and support member organisations and the Northern Territory disability sector.

Queensland

Benchmarking data
During 2007, NDS Queensland commissioned an independent review of workforce capacity by Rimfire Resources. The review included data from forty Queensland disability services (employing more than 2,000 Queenslanders in total) and examined:

More information is available here.

Disability Work
Disability Work is an online jobs notice board that provides free job-vacancy advertisements for NDS' Queensland members.

In partnership with members, NDS Queensland has been promoting work in the disability sector (and the Disability Work website) during career expos in Townsville, Toowoomba and the Sunshine Coast.

NDS has also reached an agreement with Scene Magazine to feature Disability Work in eight editions of their street magazine throughout 2009 and on their new website.

Building Business Capability in Workforce Development
During 2009 twenty non-government disability service provider organisations have participated in a series of workshops and one-on-one, on-site consultancies with the aim of building business continuity in workforce development. The consultant working with these organisations will be producing a report from the first-hand information received from the participants. This report will inform the sector on exactly what professional development needs are required to build a stronger, better skilled, more informed and sustainable non-government disability service sector. The next step is to formalise this information into a well researched, achievable Professional Development Plan for delivery during 2010-11. Funds are being sought for a project officer to undertake this important role.

VET in SACE Forum
Half day forum and ‘marketplace’ for managers with responsibility for human resources designed to clarify and inform on pathways and funding availability for school based apprenticeships and traineeships leading to employment in the disability sector. To be held 16 November 2009.

VICTORIAN WORKFORCE STRATEGY
NDS Victoria has an active Workforce Planning Sub Committee. In 2008 NDS members actively contributed to development of the Victorian Workforce Strategy 2008 – 2013 by the Victorian Department of Health and Community Services (available for download at www.dhs.vic.gov.au/disability/improving_supports/industryplan).

This Strategy identifies actions under four priorities for Victorian workforce development:

NDS VICTORIA WORKFORCE PROJECTS
NDS is currently involved in two projects funded as part of implementation of the Victorian Workforce Strategy:

1. Disability Workforce Database Project
This Project will develop a framework and database to identify and collect workforce data on an ongoing basis applicable across the industry. This database will enable monitoring of trends and will improve the knowledge of workforce requirements to take into account service growth projections. An approach developed through the NDS National Workforce Project (Rimfire) will be evaluated for application. For more, contact Carol Grant on (03) 8341 4311 (or via email at Carol.Grant@nds.org.au).

2. Gap Analysis
This Project will map the ‘gap’ between the current roles and competencies of disability workers, and those needed in the future. The gap analysis work will include:

OTHER VICTORIAN WORKFORCE INITIATIVES
NDS has also contributed to workforce related activities being undertaken elsewhere in the community services sector.

The Victorian Office of the Community Sector has recently completed projects relating to:

The Victorian Department of Human Services is currently developing an Employee Value Proposition for the human service workforce. This is due for completion in late 2009.

NDS VICTORIA WEBSITE
NDS Victoria has a link on its website for NDS members to a range of interesting resources and website relating to workforce issues (visit www.nds.org.au/vic/default.htm).

For further information, please contact Sarah Fordyce on (03) 8341 4301 (or via email Sarah.Fordyce@nds.org.au).