The APS celebrates one year since the release of Delivering for Tomorrow: APS Workforce Strategy 2025!
The Strategy was delivered by the Australian Public Service Commission in line with the Government’s APS Reform Agenda to enhance the operation of the Australian Public Service (APS) as one enterprise, with a high performing workforce that delivers effectively and efficiently for all Australians.
The first year of implementation has brought many successes, with the Australian Public Service Commission partnering with agencies to deliver some key practical capability building workforce management initiatives, such as:
- establishing the APS Academy to drive enterprise-wide learning and development opportunities, employing a new, networked approach with a focus on core capabilities fundamental to a high-performing APS;
- releasing the APS Learning and Development Strategy and Action Plan – incorporating a new Learning Board, to help drive efficiency and reduce duplication across the APS;
- embedding the APS Professions model through implementation of three APS Professional Streams in Data, Digital and HR;
- supporting a pro-integrity culture, implementing various recommendations from the Sedgwick Report, including mandatory foundational integrity training;
- maturing our talent management system to build our senior leadership pipeline;
- expanding the Australian Government Graduate Program, to strengthen specialist Graduate streams and expanding this approach to all entry pathways including internships, cadetships and apprenticeships;
- establishing the APS Mobility Framework and APS Surge Reserve to support the mobilisation of APS employees during crises;
- continuing to foster diversity in the APS, to leverage a breadth of perspectives and expertise supported by the Commonwealth Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Strategy, the Disability Employment Strategy, and the APS Gender Equality Strategy; and
- developing capability building initiatives focused on critical and emerging skills and capabilities.
Working towards a oneAPS approach, implementation is supported by the APS Workforce Planning Centre of Excellence, where workforce planning practitioners from across the APS can access workforce planning resources and collaborate through the Community of Practice to build workforce planning capability.
The Centre has been featured internationally by the Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD) as a best practice approach to uplifting workforce planning capability across the enterprise. It was also shortlisted for the Institute of Public Administration Australia’s (IPAA) Spirit of Service Award.
To ensure the Strategy remains agile and dynamic, so it can respond to future workforce management challenges, long term scenario planning and environmental scanning has been established through the Workforce Futures function, which focuses on identifying factors that may impact the way we work.
Looking ahead, year two of implementation offers many exciting opportunities, to build on the work already underway to enhance capability across the Service.
For more on how the APS Workforce Planning Centre of Excellence is building strategic workforce planning skills and how senior leaders, HR practitioners and employees can be using the Strategy now visit APS Workforce Strategy 2025.