With up to 60 per cent of Local Government employees aged between 35 to 55 years and only a few Victorian Councils undertaking formal succession planning, the need for workforce planning in the sector is becoming more and more vital. An under representation of young people in the sector and the need to attract and retain talent, particularly in rural and regional areas, has seen the Municipal Association of Victoria (MAV) working to address the issue on a number of levels.
Sector wide graduate recruitment is seen as a valuable opportunity to both market and sustain the sector. The MAV is preparing for the second round of its graduate recruitment program, GoGrad, following the highly successful inaugural intake in 2004.
Last year, over 200 applications were received for positions across metropolitan and rural Victoria, including Casey City Council, Baw Baw Shire Council, Frankston City Council, Glenelg Shire Council and Mildura Rural City Council. Graduates were successfully recruited for positions in civil engineering, strategic planning, public policy and statutory planning. The 2004 recruits have now started work in their municipalities.
The MAV will maintain close contact with these recruits for a two year period, to ensure their smooth transition to full time work and facilitate networking opportunities for these graduates. Interest continues to grow, with the strongest coming from rural and regional Councils, due to the difficulty in attracting talent to these areas.
To further address the challenge of retaining and developing talent, the MAV has developed GetSet, a series of professional learning and development sessions. This program is aimed at supporting and encouraging Councils to invest in the ongoing development of new graduates and entry level employees. The first module in the series, Understanding Local Government, aims to give participants an in depth understanding of Local Government, its history, roles and responsibilities. It will also explore Local Government’s relationships with the Federal and State Governments, and the importance of good governance.
Using a variety of contemporary learning tools, the program aims to address a number of Local Government specific capability areas while also strengthening relationships between the sector, by providing valuable networking opportunities for participants.
The growing need for workforce planning is an imperative in all sectors, as a result of shifting demographics and changing work practices. This seemingly overwhelming issue can be addressed with considered strategy and initiatives such as GoGrad and GetSet.
For further information on GoGrad or GetSet, contact Vicky Mavros on (03) 9667 5518 or email vmavros@mav.asn.au
