Phase 1 - Statewide consultations and regional reports

In 2010, the Compact Governance Committee (CGC) completed Phase 1 of the Compact workforce development initiative, in collaboration with regional stakeholders. This was a research phase to identify priority actions to be progressed to strengthen the human services workforce. At the completion of this phase, the CGC established eleven priority strategies to support the human services workforce at a strategic, system level and six 'priority areas for action' centred around client need. These are:

• Promoting the value of the sector.
• Implementing strategic workforce planning.
• Improving retention and utilisation of existing workforce.
• Strengthening strategic leadership skills.
• Developing targeted attraction strategies.
• Building specialist skills for integrated service models.

Diagram: Priority workforce issues and priority areas for action (PDF, 319 KB) Priority workforce issues and priority areas for action (RTF, 54 KB)

Phase 1 Report: Discussion paper: Compact Governance Committee workforce development initiative (PDF, 685 KB) Compact Governance Committee workforce development initiative (RTF, 775 KB)

Phase 2 of the Compact workforce development initiative commenced in March 2011. A joint government-section Compact Workforce Sub-Committee has been established to progress the progress the priorities identified through Phase 1 consultations.

Statewide consultations

Phase 1 of this initiative was conducted from May to November 2010. During this phase, the Compact Governance Committee (CGC) actively engaged with stakeholders, including representatives from across government, the Non-profit Community Services Sector and education and training bodies, to determine priority workforce needs.

A total of 17 consultation workshops were hosted across Queensland at the Department of Communities' Regional NGO Forums and other key gatherings between August and November 2010.

At these workshops, more than 700 stakehodlers from across government and the sector had an opportunity to help identify priority workforce needs and possible local, regional and statewide solutions.

Representatives from the Health and Community Services Workforce Council, Community Services Skilling Plan and the Department of Communities' regional staff helped to facilitate the workshops and identify how existing initiatives might help to meet local workforce development needs.

Some of the materials used to facilitate the workshops are available for download below:

• Information flyer (PDF, 94 KB) Information flyer (RTF, 38 KB)
• Workshop Presentation (PPT, 1.1 MB) Workshop Presentation (RTF, 146 KB)
• Workforce Issues: Challenges and Opportunities Recording Grid (PDF, 26 KB) Workforce Issues: Challenges and Opportunities Recording Grid (RTF, 109 KB)
• Top 10 Workforce Issues (PDF, 432 KB) Top 10 Workforce Issues (RTF, 391 KB)

Regional workforce reports: Workforce development challenges - priorities and possible solutions

Data collected through the regional consultation workshops informed the development of the following reports:

• Seven regions' summary report (PDF, 602 KB) Seven regions' summary report (RTF, 282 KB)
• Far North Queensland Region (PDF, 413 KB) Far North Queensland Region (RTF, 329 KB)
• North Queensland Region (PDF, 580 KB) North Queensland Region (RTF, 678 KB)
• Central Queensland Region (PDF, 689 KB) Central Queensland Region (RTF, 675 KB)
• South West Region (PDF, 457 KB) South West Region (RTF, 321 KB)
• North Coast Region (PDF, 404 KB) North Coast Region (RTF, 401 KB)
• Brisbane Region (PDF, 352 KB) Brisbane Region (RTF, 399 KB)
• South East Region (PDF, 308 KB) South East Region (RTF, 352 KB)

Each of these reports was drafted collaboratively by regional staff and representatives from both the Compact Secretariat and the Health and Community Services Workforce Council, along with input from other government and sector stakeholders.

In November 2010, the data from these reports was used to support CGC decision making about the system-level workforce development and volunteering strategies it would support in 2011 and beyond.

Regional stakeholders may use the data provided in each the reports with other relevant data sets and information, to support local and regional workforce development and workforce planning activities.

Regions can progress actions against the priorities identified in the reports by leveraging off existing initiatives which include the Health and Community Services Workforce Council's Integrated Workforce Development Strategy (IWDS) and the Community Services Skilling Plan (CSSP), which is jointly funded by the Department of Education and Training and the Department of Communities.

More information

For more information on the Queensland Compact workforce development initiative, please contact the Compact Secretariat on (07) 3247 4024 or email compact_secretariat@communities.qld.gov.au.