Succession planning in local government.

Australia’s population is ageing, and this shift is clear when we look closely at the workforce demographics. According to the ARC Centre of Excellence in Population Ageing Research (CEPAR), the share of the Australian workforce aged 55+ has more than doubled from 9% in 1991, to 19% in 2021, led by women re-entering work in mid-life and delaying retirement. That number is expected to rise again to 40% by 2050.

Local government is considered one of the industries most exposed to an ageing workforce, often due to the benefits and conditions, and diversity of roles available across Council functions, services and infrastructure. While retention rates are high across the sector, there is also a risk that when staff eventually leave or retire, the knowledge and expertise they’ve accumulated goes with them.

Another issue councils face is competition in the labour market, with the health care and social assistance, education and training, and construction industries making the largest contributions to employment growth over the last 12 months (according to the Jobs and Skills Australia Labour Market Update – June 2024).

Local councils must invest in strategic workforce planning to engage with different groups in the labour market and support effective and diverse teams to maintain a skilled workforce. One way to achieve this is to incorporate vocational education and training (VET) pathways like apprenticeships and traineeship in your long-term workforce planning.

Zeal Futures Acting CEO, Libby Ford, said apprenticeships and traineeships are an effective succession planning strategy, allowing you to build a pipeline of future talent to maintain a skilled workforce.

“From day one, you can train an individual your way, customising their training to meet your needs or skills gaps,” she said.

“New workers are enthusiastic and eager to learn and bring fresh new perspectives and ideas to your organisation. As they progress and become accustomed to your culture, processes and procedures, they become an asset to your organization that you can continue to develop.”   

There are further benefits for organisations who partner with a group training organization (GTO) to deliver their apprenticeship and traineeship programs, with GTOs achieving higher completion rates than direct employment.

Jason Sultana, Executive Officer of the Apprentice Employment Network (NSW & ACT) said research shows that GTO completion rates are up to 15% higher than direct employment, with a higher proportion of GTO trade apprentices from GTOs employed beyond their apprenticeship (94% conversion).

GTOs can also provide flexibility for governments through internal or external rotations, can facilitate large-scale implementation across multiple departments or geographical locations, and can assist councils who don’t have the internal structure to support apprentices and trainees.

Additionally, GTOs have the expertise and skills to support apprentices and trainees over the course of their training and employment.

This is one of the differentiating factors of employing apprentices through a GTO. At Zeal Futures, every apprentice or trainee is paired with a Workforce Solutions Specialist (WSS) who mentors and coaches them throughout their training journey to ensure they achieve success, while monitoring their training progress and performance on the job to address any challenges as they arise.

“Our WSS team have undertaken additional training to add value to the service we provide our host employers, including Work Health and Safety, Cert IV or Diploma in Leadership & Management, Cultural Awareness and Mental Health First Aid,” Mrs Ford said.

“We can also assist our hosts to increase workplace diversity, with Anti-Discrimination Exemptions allowing us to target Indigenous candidates and women for non-traditional trade roles. This would be particularly beneficial for governments in meeting their diversity targets.”

Zeal Futures currently works with 13 councils across NSW, including Shoalhaven City Council – a partnership that spans more than 25 years. In this time, our apprentice and trainee program has expanded to include new training opportunities with Council’s water utility, Shoalhaven Water, as part of their long-term workforce planning strategy.

“We’re proud to have recently secured a new contract to continue managing apprenticeship and traineeship programs for both Shoalhaven and Sutherland Councils and are excited to commence a new partnership with Camden Council,” Mrs Ford said.

“The GTO model works, which is why councils continue to choose to work with us. We get results, and that’s why GTOs need to remain a key stakeholder in government apprenticeship and traineeship strategies.

“We look forward to creating more local government success stories, helping local councils to address youth unemployment in their communities while building a skilled workforce for the future.”