2.1 Workforce Planning
The ACTPS workforce is being shaped and supported through Whole of Government workforce strategies to drive a more agile, responsive and innovative service into the future. Workforce transformation is a key priority for the government, to ensure that the ACTPS is an effective and efficient public service, focussed on delivering the Government’s strategic agenda and meeting community needs, with the agility to deliver consistently, responsively and sustainably into the middle of the 21st century.
As mentioned in section B.2 (Performance Analysis), strategic workforce planning activity has commenced across the ACTPS. Examples of transformative Whole of Government projects already in motion include the ACTPS Learning and Development Strategy; ACTPS Leadership Development Strategy (People), Culture Ready and the new government office blocks with the transition to Activity Based Working (ABW) environments.
In addition, following on from previous years’ work, the ADAPT (Align, Design, Analyse, Program and Transform) Strategic Workforce Planning Toolkit (ADAPT Toolkit) was launched as a fully accessible and interactive smart-form and assists users to build workforces around key service delivery into the future, supporting work areas to continue to effectively deliver on government priorities and future service commitments. Further information regarding the Whole of Government workforce capability initiatives can be found at section B.2 (Performance Analysis) in the Head of Service Annual Report.
In the 2018 Agency Survey, directorates were asked to report on whether their directorate had a workforce plan in place and what the key workforce strategies are to position the directorates to meet future workforce demands.
Four of the seven directorates reported that they have a strategic workplace plan in place, identifying that their workforce plan was guided by issues specific to their directorate. With an additional directorate advising that while they do not have a strategic workforce plan in place, they have a Workforce Planning Toolkit available to managers to use and undertake workforce planning activities within their own business units.
The Health Directorate advised that their workforce strategy will support the delivery of a sustainable workforce, able to deliver person–and family-centred, safe and high quality care into the future. JACS launched its Workforce Strategy 2017-19 in July 2017 with an aim to build a workforce that is engaged, enabled and empowered to achieve the directorate’s strategic goals and operational imperatives into the future. JACS indicated that the focus of its Workforce Strategy is for the directorate to be seen as an employer of choice and this will be achieved through driving best practice in contemporary and responsive workforce management systems. JACS have also implemented business unit specific strategies that address specific issues affecting the particular business unit.
The Education Directorate have drafted a Workforce Capability Strategy outlining high level themes that identify areas of need with initiatives to be prioritised across the system to address priority areas providing a clear plan for the Education workforce. The aim of the Workforce Capability Strategy is to provide a comprehensive, system level approach to organisational development through capability building and other initiatives including induction, health and wellbeing, leadership development, performance management and mentoring. The ACTPS values are an inherent part of the Education Directorate’s Workforce Capability Strategy, which is expected to be delivered in 2019.
2.2 Employment Growth
At 30 June 2018, the ACTPS comprised 22,230 employees1. Employment has experienced another year of relative small growth of 2 per cent or 439 employees (based on headcount) during 2017-18 reporting period. FTE employment increased by 2.2 per cent, or 421.2 FTE over the same period. At 2 per cent, the employment growth is similar to that of the Australian labour force (employment growth of 2.4 per cent) over the same period.
While the ACTPS increased by 439 employees, 87.2 per cent or 383 employees were permanent, 12 per cent or 54 employees were temporary and casual employees grew by 0.5 per cent for the reporting period. Table 4 displays the ACTPS employment growth by directorate for the June 2017 to June 2018 period.
All directorates experienced relatively similar employment growth, with EPSDD experiencing the largest growth at 11.5 per cent. EPSDD’s growth is due to Machinery of Government (MOG) changes and several business areas joining their directorate during the reporting period. CMTEDD was the only directorate to experience a decrease in employee headcount (-2 per cent). This too can be attributed to MOG changes and staff being transferred to both TCCS and EPSDD.
| Headcount | FTE | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ACTPS Directorates | Jun-17 | Jun-18 | Change (%) | Jun-17 | Jun-18 | Change (%) |
| Chief Minister, Treasury and Economic Development Directorate | 2,457 | 2,411 | -2.0 | 2,362.3 | 2,318.6 | -1.8 |
| ACT Insurance Authority | 18 | 18 | 5.3 | 17.6 | 18.3 | 3.9 |
| Community Services Directorate | 892 | 933 | 4.4 | 835.9 | 865.8 | 3.6 |
| Education Directorate | 6,578 | 6,814 | 3.5 | 5,438 | 5,664.1 | 4.2 |
| Environment, Planning and Sustainable Development Directorate | 595 | 672 | 11.5 | 561.1 | 635.1 | 13.2 |
| Health Directorate | 7,403 | 7,607 | 2.7 | 6,476.3 | 6,661.2 | 2.9 |
| Justice and Community Safety Directorate | 1,818 | 1,869 | 2.7 | 1,729.5 | 1,781.0 | 3.0 |
| Transport Canberra and City Services Directorate | 1,882 | 1,906 | 1.3 | 1,711.3 | 1,753.9 | 2.5 |
| ACTPS Directorates Total | 21,791 | 22,230 | 2.0 | 19,132[1] | 19,697.92 | 2.95 |
Classification group | Jun-17 | Jun-18 | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|
Administrative Service Officers | 5,391 | 5,500 | 2.0 |
Ambulance Officers | 233 | 215 | -7.7 |
Ambulance Support Officers3 | n/a | 48 | n/a |
Bus Operators | 716 | 740 | 3.4 |
Correctional Officers | 213 | 217 | 1.9 |
Dentists/Dental Officers | 17 | 16 | -5.9 |
Disability Officers | 4 | 3 | -25.0 |
Executives | 235 | 243 | 3.4 |
Fire and Rescue Officers | 334 | 336 | 0.6 |
General Service Officers and Equivalent | 1,206 | 1,194 | -1.0 |
Health Assistants | 123 | 114 | -7.3 |
Health Professional Officers | 1,430 | 1,459 | 2.0 |
Information Technology Officers | 164 | 176 | 7.3 |
Judicial Officers | 15 | 14 | -6.7 |
Legal Officers | 119 | 132 | 10.9 |
Legal Support | 20 | 20 | 0.0 |
Linen Production and Maintenance | 58 | 53 | -8.6 |
Medical Officers | 914 | 932 | 2.0 |
Nursing and Midwifery | 3,108 | 3,159 | 1.6 |
Professional Officers | 228 | 226 | -0.9 |
Prosecutors | 39 | 44 | 12.8 |
Rangers | 41 | 47 | 14.6 |
School Leaders | 750 | 752 | 0.3 |
Senior Officers | 2,422 | 2,494 | 3.0 |
Statutory Office Holders | 12 | 154 | 25.0 |
Teachers | 3,626 | 3,736 | 3.0 |
Technical Officers | 280 | 272 | -2.9 |
Trainees and Apprentices | 48 | 38 | -20.8 |
Transport Officers | 45 | 35 | -22.2 |
Total | 21,791 | 22,230 | 2.0 |
Table 5 breaks down employment growth by classification groups, by headcount. Just over half the ACTPS classification groups experienced employment growth. The largest growth was seen in the following classification groups; Rangers 14.6 per cent, Legal Officers at 10.9 per cent, Prosecutors at 12.8 per cent and Information Technology Officers at 7.3 per cent.
2.3 Salary Growth
The average salary of the ACTPS was $91,046 at June 2018. This is slightly higher than the previous reporting period when the average salary was $90,650 at June 2017. The ACTPS average salary is just below the average salary of an individual in the ACT labour force ($94,427 at May 2018)5, and approximately $9,000 higher than the average salary of an individual in the Australian labour force ($82,700 at May 2018)6.
A five year average salary growth chart for the various diversity groups can be viewed at Graph 5 on page 55.
The most significant increase in this area was for employees identifying as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples. At June 2018 the average salary of employees identifying as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples was $82,798, an increase of 3.7 per cent since June 2017. Given the considerable work undertaken across the ACTPS during the 2017-18 reporting period to support and strengthen the participation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples in the ACTPS workforce it is encouraging to see an increase in the average salary.
The average salary of female employees ($90,300) continues to be slightly under that of the average ACTPS salary, a trend that is likely attributable to the proportionally larger number of female employees choosing part time work across the ACTPS.
Meanwhile the average salary of employees identifying as Culturally and Linguistically Diverse increased by 1.0 per cent over the reporting period. At June 2018 the average salary of employees identifying as Culturally and Linguistically Diverse was $87,199.
From June 2017 to June 2018, the average salary of People with Disability increased from $90,504 to $91,174, an amount $133 higher than the average salary of the ACTPS.
Financial Year | Total Appointments/ | Appointment from External | Appointment from Temporary Contract | Promotion from HDA | Permanent Transfer/ Promotion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2013-14 | 2,826 | 15.5% | 34.4% | 18.7% | 31.4% |
2014-15 | 2,734 | 15.1% | 33.4% | 19.7% | 31.8% |
2015-16 | 2,923 | 14.9% | 32.6% | 21.1% | 31.4% |
2016-17 | 3,060 | 15.7% | 33.0% | 22.9% | 28.4% |
2017-18 | 3,444 | 14.1% | 36.1% | 22.4% | 27.3% |
Table 6 provides an overview of ACTPS appointments and promotions from July 2013 to June 2018. As can be seen from the table, the total number of appointments/promotions/transfers for the period 2017-18 has increased to 3,444 from the previous year of 3,060. Of this, appointments from a temporary contract has had the highest proportion at 36.1 per cent. This was a slight increase of 3.1 per cent from the previous year. The three other groups had minimal reductions of between 0.5 per cent and 1.6 per cent.
Over the five years, the trends have remained much the same without too much variance of each group. Appointment from temporary contracts has continued to amount to a third of the total Appointments/Promotions/Transfers.
1 For the 2017-18 reporting period, the reporting structure changed slightly. All public sector bodies were removed see pages 46-47 for details.
2 The total FTE for June 2017 does not match the figure reported in the 2017 State of the Service Report due to the changes in reporting structure. See pages 46-47 for an explanation of these changes.
3 Ambulance Support Officers is a new category for the 2017-18 reporting period. Previously Ambulance Support Officers and Ambulance Officers were reported together. They have been separated to provide a more accurate view of the ACTPS workforce.
4 During 2017-18 there were two new Statutory Office Holders including, the Public Sector Standards Commissioner and the Principal Registrar.
5 Australian Bureau of Statistics, Average Weekly Earnings, Australia 6302.0, Australian Capital Territory, 2017.
6 Australian Bureau of Statistics, 6302.0 - Average Weekly Earnings, Australia, Nov 2017.