Succession planning public sector success

Like all countries around the world, Australia is facing a range of workforce challenges that will ultimately impact its employment market. A key contributor to the skills shortage phenomenon is our ageing population, and more specifically, an ageing workforce.

With an ageing workforce comes mass retirements, organisational knowledge gaps and succession planning challenges across the whole business community. This is already having serious implications in the public sector in NSW, though work is being done through The NSW Public Sector Workforce Strategy 2008 – 2012 which commits to an agenda of change and revival in its employment practices, with an emphasis on hiring younger talent.

According to research conducted by the Department of Premier and Cabinet (DPC) NSW, over 130 public sector agencies employ over 300,000 people across the State, roughly making up 12 per cent of the entire NSW labour force.  Significantly, 51% of NSW public sector employees in 2009 were aged 45 and above as opposed to 38% of total NSW employed persons. 

SydneyTalent is keen to work closely with all NSW Government departments to address these issues; to identify gaps and address immediate and long term succession planning.  For example, SydneyTalent has been involved in a highly successful program with the Commonwealth DPP, establishing a summer cadetship program.  As a result of the program, the DPP has asked the student to continue employment.

NSW is of course not alone on these issues.  Federally, all departments are moving to address this issue by focusing on under-employed groups in the labour market such as graduates and young people.