A career in Local Government

Presented byAssociate Professor

Roberta Ryan

ABOUT ME• Joined UTS:CLG and ACELG

as Director beginning of 2013

• Expertise in social policy, organisational evaluation and learning, policy and program evaluation, stakeholder engagement, applied policy research and advice

• Research partnership between UTS and NSW Department of Planning and Infrastructure around planning reforms - focusing on community participation in new system

• Commenced operation 1991– Australia’s largest and

longest serving dedicated Centre for Local Government

• 3 core strands– Research – Training and Professional

Development– Research Consultancy

• Learning programs– PhD Program and Masters of

Local Government– Graduate Diploma in Local

Government Management– Graduate Certificate in Local

Government Leadership– Graduate Certificate in

Development Assessment– Executive Certificate for

Elected Members – launching in October

• Commenced operation 2009• Federal Government funded

consortium (UTS:CLG, UCanberra, ANZSoG, LGMA National, IPWEA)

• 6 program areas – Research and Policy Foresight– Innovation and Best Practice– Governance and Strategic

Leadership– Organisation Capacity Building– Rural/Remote/Indigenous LG– Workforce Development

• LGMA National prepared Local Government National Workforce Strategy in partnership with the sector for ACELG– Upcoming release of Australian

Local Government Workforce and Employment Data Set

• Government’s at all levels have recognised the increasing importance of local government to society and the need for a resilient workforce in order to ‘future-proof’ local government

• Strategic objective 3 promotes local government as a place-based employer of choice through offering flexible working arrangements

• To promote local government as a place-based employer, local governments often have innovative working arrangements and HR approaches including 9 day fortnights, tele-working and shared services

AUSTRALIAN LOCAL GOVERNMENT

WORKFORCE AND EMPLOYMENT DATA

AUSTRALIAN LOCAL GOVERNMENT WORKFORCE AND EMPLOYMENT DATA

• Undertaken to support implementation of National Workforce Strategy

• Survey instrument piloted with councils around Australia• Survey launched November 2012 – closed late January 2013• 232 metro, regional and rural councils participated

– Representing over 67,000 employees, about a third of estimated total LG workforce (ABS – 192,500)

– Participating council staff numbers: largest 2,433 / smallest 18

• Results compared with other sources to confirm accuracy (i.e. ABS, NSW Division of Local Government)

• Poor representation from some jurisdictions - underscores importance of taking nationally consistent approach

QUESTIONS ABOUT

• Total employees• Age / gender• Occupation• Employment status and hours• Managerial occupations• Workforce planning• Diversity planning• Culturally and linguistically diverse, disability and indigenous

status• Education and training (including apprenticeships, in-house

training and training budgets)• Vacancies, new starters and staff turnover

WORKFORCE DISTRIBUTION• LG also more evenly distributed when compared to large government service

delivery industries and traditional regional and rural industries.• So, the industry that provides the best employment opportunities where you

live may in fact be local government!

Local Gov-ernment

State Govern-

ment

Federal Govern-

ment

Education Health Care and Social Assistance

Mining Agriculture

Rural (%)

Regional (%)

Urban (%)

WORKFORCE DISTRIBUTION

• Workforce distribution analysis also identifies:– On average, local government employees represent 5% of LGA

workforces– More than 60 regional and rural LGAs where local government

employees make up over 10% of the total local workforce– 25 regional and rural LGAs where local government employees

make up over 20% of the total local workforce– 7 regional and rural LGAs where local government employees

make up over half the total local workforce, and– 17 regional and rural LGAs where local government is the

major employer within the community

• So, there are careers for everyone, everywhere!

AGE• LG workforce older than national workforce (particularly 50-59 year cohort) • This means future career progression opportunities will open up as current

employs retire

18-24 25-34 35-49 50-59 60+0.00

5.00

10.00

15.00

20.00

25.00

30.00

35.00

40.00

Local government workforce - ABS Census National Labour force

GENDER• Local government needs more females!

Male

Female

42.00% 44.00% 46.00% 48.00% 50.00% 52.00% 54.00% 56.00%

53.8%

46.2%

EDUCATION LEVELS• Local government employs people with a diverse range of educational

qualifications!

4.3%

14.0%

10.9%

2.7%

30.2%

34.7%

4.7%

19.8%

15.4%

5.0%

21.1%

30.5%

MaleFemale

EMPLOYMENT STATUS• Local government offers flexible working conditions (part time often suits new

parents wanting to start a family, so local government is a family-friendly employer!)

Full time %

Part time %

Away from work %

69.77%

24.27%

5.96%

HOURS WORKED• More flexible working arrangements in NT and, in particular, Victoria• Looking at working hours per week – local government provides a range of part

time roles range for 0-9 hrs through to 25+ hours

NSW

Vic

Qld

WA

SA

Tas

NT

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%0-9hrs 10-14hrs 15-19hrs 20-24hrs 25-34hrs 35-40hrs

OCCUPATION STREAMSMore staff employed in core business streams (Corporate services and Engineering / infrastructure)Significance of Human / Community Services workforce reflects increasing provision of these services by LG

Corporate services

Engineering / infrastructure

Human / community services

Planning

36.98%

28.44%

20.85%

12.73%

GENDER REPRESENTATION BY OCCUPATION STREAM

• Relatively even gender balance in Corporate Services / Governance • Corporate Services / Governance encompasses the majority of senior

management positions – so both males and females have the opportunity to progress through to senior management levels!

Corporate service governance Engineering/Infrastructure Human and community services Environment/Planning

54.0

84.6

37.2

64.0

46.0

15.4

62.8

36.0

Male Female

Directors

Managers

Coordinators / Team leaders

FemaleMale

MANAGERIAL OCCUPATIONS• Mostly male, particularly in senior management• Higher female representation in lower level management

Directors

Managers

Coordinators / Team leaders

Total

AGE BY OCCUPATION

• Occupations with highest number of employees aged 50+– CEO / General Managers– Labourers / plant operators– Community transport

operators / bus drivers– HACC / child care /

community services– Works / infrastructure

managers– Finance / payroll

• Occupations with lowest number of employees aged 50+ – Communications / media– Urban planners /

environment– Community engagement– Lifeguards / fitness

instructors / pool attendants– IT / GIS– Greenkeepers– Arts / culture

WORKFORCE PLANNINGCouncils in NSW more likely to have established or implementing workforce plan – this is the kind of good practice the National Workforce Strategy is building on and why many local governments are recognised as employers of choice

10

17.3

14.546.4

11.8 Have an established workforce plan which is in place throughout the council

Have developed and are implementing our work force plan

Have substantially completed a work-force plan

Have commenced work on a work-force plan

Not planning to do a workforce plan at present

WORKFORCE PLANNINGTOP ISSUES

Ageing workforce/impending retirement

Legislative requirements/Training/skills not avaliable locally

Competition for recruitment

Limited HR/Workforce planning resources

Staff retention

Leadership/development at team leader and coordinator level

Insufficient funds/councils not able to afford additional staff

Knowledge management/transfer

Competition with city councils

Succession planning

Attracting younger workers

Population growth/increased expectations

Development of a skills audit/matrix to inform future training needs

Investment required in new equipment for ageing workforce/decreased physical capacity

High cost of living/housing locally

Lack of consistant, sector wide data

Threat of amalgamation

INDIGENOUS WORKFORCE• CoAG public sector indigenous employment target – 2.6% by 2015• Around a third of the LG indigenous workforce are employed through

Community Development Employment Projects• So you have the opportunity to work with a diverse range of people with

interesting backgrounds and experiences!

New South Wales

Victoria

Queensland

South Australia

Western Australia

Tasmania

Northern Territory

Total

2.92%

0.57%

7.11%

1.66%

3.65%

2.70%

55.29%

4.62%

Indigenous employees as proportion of total workforce

VACANCIES

• Around 13 vacancies per council at time of data collection• Around a third of vacancies not currently being advertised• Significantly higher long term (+6 month) vacancies in Qld

and NSW• Vacancies most likely for the following occupations:

– Engineering (16%)– Design/survey/drafting (10%)– Childcare/early childhood development (10%)– Director/senior management (10%)– Planner (7%)– Leisure/pools/gym attendant (6%)– Ganger/general hand (5%)

IMPLICATIONS

• LG plays a leading and active role to enhance regional and rural community outcomes

• LG provides you with the opportunity to influence the services that respond to your community’s unique needs

• Given LG makes up about 5% of local workforces, LG is a key employer in every community – meaning you have a great work/life balance by working close to home

• Local government employees people across the full spectrum of educational qualifications

IMPLICATIONS

• Local government is looking to increase gender equity and the number of females in Engineering/Infrastructure roles, and males in Human/Community Services roles

• Highly educated females in senior management roles, means LG will be a future leader in gender equity

• LG leading the way in attracting and retaining talent through continued offering and promotion of flexible working arrangements

IMPLICATIONS

• Large proportion of Engineering/Infrastructure workforce approaching retirement – so there are a range of jobs opening up in these fields

• LG leading the way in terms of indigenous employment and offer the opportunity to work with a range of people from diverse and interesting backgrounds

• But, vacancies are not as readily advertised – so you will need to approach your local government directly through their website.– Local government employment opportunities are also often

advertised in newspaper careers sections

What’s great about working in local government?

What is great about working in local government?

• ADMIN/CLERICAL - An experience smorgasbord and career springboard

• PLANNING - Play Sim City in the real world• ENGINEERING/BUILDING - Shaping our whole

environment with your own hands• ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH/COMMUNITY SERVICES -

Guardians of our 21st century lifestyle• CORPORATE SERVICES - Achieve something greater than

profits for shareholders• Love where you live? A career in local government lets

you get close to your community and help understand and influence what makes it such a great place to live

What are the benefits of working in local government?

• The diverse activities of local government means there are careers for everyone – meaning you can do what you love!– It also means that no one day is the same – helping to build your skills

across a range of areas and increase employability!

• Local governments are significant employers in regional and rural areas – so there are careers for everyone, everywhere!

• Local government offers opportunities for career progression – many local government staff are approaching retirement and as they do, opportunities for progression will open up

• Local governments are a range of sizes – from small rural shires to the 7,000 strong workforce of Brisbane City Council – so there is an organisation that suits everyone

• Many local governments are already considered ‘Employers of Choice’ – for example, Parramatta and Brisbane City Councils

What are the benefits of working in local government?

• Local government provides a significant number of part time roles and offer flexible working environments, particularly for working parents

• Many local governments have been recognised for providing extensive ongoing training and professional development opportunities – helping to increase long term employment prospects

• The National Local Government Workforce Strategy envisages future incentives for working in regional and rural local governments

• Local government senior executives – of whom many have decades experience in local government – are ideal mentors for those wanting to start a long term career in local government

Local government employees shape the

world!