Data Profession
Access an online community for mentorship, learning and collaboration, and members-only training and events
Why join the APS Data Profession?
The APS Data Profession is open to all APS employees with an interest in learning more about data and working with it. The APS Data Profession caters to emerging and existing data specialists, sophisticated data users and producers through knowledge sharing, peer-based learning and career development opportunities.
By joining the APS Data Profession, you will:
- receive regular updates from senior leaders across the APS about a range of data-related topics
- gain access to events and forums with data leaders and experts
- network with data colleagues to hear fresh perspectives and gain insight from others with established careers in data
- explore mobility opportunities across the APS within data roles
APS Data Profession
The APS Data Profession aims to lift the data capability of the APS workforce through defining data capabilities, increasing diversity and mobility of people in data roles, and creating career pathways and development opportunities. We aim to ensure the APS workforce can attract, develop, and retain the data capabilities required to harness the unprecedented growth in the availability and value of data.
The core initiatives of the Data Profession are to:
- grow the APS data workforce through streamlined data graduate recruitment
- develop current data specialists for career development
- build diversity into data roles
- guide data literacy education
The APS Data Profession will work with teams and agencies lift their data skills.
The Head of the Data Profession is Dr David Gruen, Australian Statistician and Agency Head of the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). David works with agencies and champions support for the APS Data Profession strategy to deliver the prioritised program of work to bring the strategy to life.
The Heads of the 3 Professions are overseen by Australian Public Service Commissioner and Head of Professions, Peter Woolcott. The APS Professions strategies are supported administratively by the APSC.
More information is available in the APS Data Professional Strategy.
See how the APS uses data
Caroline Edwards talks about how data has been used to understand the impact, and inform the Government’s response to COVID-19.
Caroline is Associate Secretary at the Department of Health and a member of the Data Profession Senior Reference Group, which is driving the work on the APS Data Professional Stream.
Alistair Campbell, Assistant Secretary at the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, talks about how data and data analytics are being used to support the Prime Minister and the National Cabinet.
Melinda Smith, Chief Service Delivery Officer from the ATO, talks about how building data capability today is critical to delivering future vision.