Australia is facing a skills shortage and attracting high quality graduates is going to become more challenging over the coming years. Recruitment is also a difficult, costly and an expensive business. In response to this issue, ten councils across New South Wales have come together to offer exciting graduate opportunities in a range of disciplines in Local Government.
The venture offers a great deal of hope for smaller councils that have difficulty maintaining the pace in this environment.
The councils have joined forces to deliver the Local Government Graduate Development Program which is based on accepted best practice in graduate recruitment. The program involves an introduction course to Local Government, management skills training, competency development, performance review processes, peer support and mentor programs.
Speaking at the International City/Country Management Association International Best Practices Conference in May, Canterbury City Council Director Corporate and Community Services, Lara Kirchner, said there were no simple answers to encouraging graduates to join Local Government.
“Recruitment is only part of the answer,” she said.“We need to look at structure and attitude, be prepared to take a long view and be open to new ideas. To recruit people means marketing ourselves as an employer of choice and showing how important people are to the organisation.”
She said there needs to be changes in attitude with a far greater long term view and Councils need to be challenged by ideas. Organisations need to deliver expertise, capability, leadership, performance, individual focus and share the risk.
The recruiting process involves marketing and online applications, screening and background interviewing, psychological and capability assessments, council interviews and reference checks.
The Graduate Development Program is managed by a steering committee drawn from a consortium of Council management with senior consultants acting as advisers. Councils involved in the project are Baulkham Hills, Canterbury, Goulburn, Lane Cove, Liverpool, North Sydney, Parramatta, Rockdale, Warringah and Yass.
The program is accessible on the web at lggrads.readyfit.com.au.
