With up to 60 per cent of Local Government employees between the ages of 35 to 55 years, and an under representation of young people in the sector, the need to attract and retain talent, particularly in rural and regional areas is becoming more and more apparent. To address this, the Municipal Association of Victoria (MAV) launched GoGrad, the Victorian Local Government Graduate Program in 2004.
Now in its second year, the graduate program is a long term strategy to rectify skills shortages and recruit and develop future leaders, rather than a quick fix solution to meet immediate needs.
“Local Government is screaming out for skilled professionals, particularly in the areas of planning and engineering,” said MAV Project Officer, Vicky Mavros. “We need to look a little deeper to understand why the sector is not attracting quality candidates and why skilled professionals leave.
“It may not just come down to dollars. Flexibility, high levels of social responsibility and a need for ‘making a real difference’, are increasingly becoming important factors in what candidates consider an attractive place to work.
“Local Government is a diverse and unique employer, offering over 100 different careers but sadly this point is under promoted. Graduates at universities do not see Local Government as a potential employer.”
GoGrad is raising awareness of career paths in Local Government through yearly campaigns and is working closely with undergraduates, universities and professional groups. Councils are encouraged to individually or collectively promote themselves to secondary schools, regional TAFEs and universities by attending careers expos and conducting information sessions profiling responsibilities of the sector.
The MAV has developed a series of workshops that form part of the ongoing development component of GoGrad.
“Graduates and other Local Government staff who have attended workshops on Understanding Local Government found it invaluable, recommending it be a prerequisite for any staff member entering Local Government,” Vicky Mavros said.
The MAV has found that graduate programs do not have to be limited to tertiary qualified graduates but can also include students at TAFE.
Vicky Mavros said that internal commitment and understanding about the objectives and purpose of the program must exist.
“An internal driver who believes in the objectives of the program is needed to ensure that the CEO, directors, managers and other senior staff are aware of the program, the benefits to Council and how their involvement is part of a bigger strategy in sustaining their organisation,” she said. “This also positively impacts on the support graduates receive on commencing their position.”
For further information on GoGrad contact Vicky Mavros on (03) 9667 5518 or email vmavros@mav.asn.au
