Central Highlands Regional Council CHRC

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Central Highlands Regional Council
(CHRC) Central Highlands Development Corporation
(CHDC) CENTRAL HIGHLANDS SKILLS FORMATION
STRATEGY
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Content for today!

• Skills Formation Strategy Project
• Background on CHRC
• Attraction
• Development
• Utilisation
• Retention
• Communication
• Questions???

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Skills Formation Strategies (SFS)

• Through the Department of Education Training and
  the Arts (DETA)
• 45 have/are being run State-wide
• Variety of industries and regions (e.g. LGAQ,
  Atherton Tablelands, Aged Care, Tourism, Tourism
  Whitsundays, Wine, Western Downs etc)
• Also known as industry ecosystems
• One size does not fit all!
• SFS is a PROCESS that is developed for each
  region/industry
• Objective 1 Build capacity of CHRC and region to
  respond to current workforce issues
• Objective 2 Support CHRC and regional workforce
  initiatives by enhancing educational and training
  capacity
• Objective 3 Address workforce issues of the
  future by developing sustainable,
  regionally-owned processes of engagement

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Background on CHRC

• Pre-amalgamation it was 5 Shires-Jericho, Peak
  Downs, Emerald, Duaringa and Bauhinia- (Jericho
  was included in the Barcaldine Regional Council)
• Now nearly 28,000 people in region, 60,000 Sq.
  kms, over 500 million community value, over 450
  staff and 130 million budget
• Competition with coal mines and contractors for
  SOME positions
• Competition with everywhere else to attract
  people to live and work in the region
• Still trying to bring the region together through
  integrated systems in the Council and engaging
  staff and community

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Central Highlands

• Engagement with the Community of the Central
  Highlands
• Amalgamation Chaos, opportunity, dispossession,
  normality, job losses, job creation, frustration,
  career advancement, and more---all depending on
  your view-point!
• In the Central Highlands there has been multiple
  avenues of co-operation before the amalgamation
  so a lot of the ground-work had been done
• Floods in January/February 2008 devastated the
  community
• Delayed process of change has resulted in some
  disengagement
• Some community-members feel that they have given
  up everything, and received next to nothing in
  return
• Some staff say they have no idea what is
  happening, who their bosses are , what the future
  holds
• Some entrenched difference of opinion between
  the towns
• Many others see it as the way forward and are
  working hard to ensure it all happens
• Passionate staff who love coming to work, great
  teams, making a difference in their community

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Attraction

• Who do you want?
• Level of position, skills needed, cultural fit
• What are you offering?
• Wage/salary range, holidays, super contributions,
  study leave
• Car, housing, phone, packaging, relocation
  expenses
• Professional development, transfers, discount
  schemes
• How are you presenting it?
• Clearly badged and consistent, professional
• Taking the enquiry and responding appropriately
• Where are they?
• Where are they now and how do you present to them
• Generational, situational, emotional
• What media and how often ( and time)

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Staff Engagement

• Planning and Communication, Communication and
  Planning
• As a lot of amalgamated (and non-amalgamated)
  Councils are aware, the formulation and
  implementation of planning is a slow and tortuous
  process
• Staff engagement comes through the ownership of
  the plans, via the ability to have a say in the
  planning process, and clear communication as to
  where they are in that plan
• Communicating the plans and changes through the
  appropriate network takes time, a great deal of
  patience, skill and yet more planning

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Staff Development

• Training plans for staff and departments of the
  Council
• Staff training for individuals including RPL, RCC
  (State Govt funding currently available)
• Part of their package...claw-back provisions for
  early departure (if paid for by Council)
• Use as tool for promotion, job satisfaction,
  up-skilling, broad-skilling, out-sourcing,
  image-building within the community and to
  prospective employees and their families
• Departmental training plans used to formulate
  requirements for accreditation, compliance
• Build capacity within the Department
• Create culture of learning
• Soft skills
• Building leadership through recognition,
  mentoring and training
• Ensuring communication flow
• Allowing feedback

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Utilisation and Retention

• Utilisation of staff
• No use training staff if they cant use their new
  skills
• Look at different or additional roles, transfers
  for particular jobs, training
• Skills matrix, job descriptions
• Examine if staff are in the wrong role
• Do they have a passion for a different role?
• Are they willing to change?
• Can you replace them if they move?
• Retention of staff
• Too late when they have gone-be proactive, not
  reactive
• Regular monitoring of staff feelings
• Opportunity for feedback and input
• If they are going-find out why
• Exit interviewing
• Open-door policy verbal or written
• Follow-up contacts with them, their friends and
  family
• Do they know anyone to replace them?

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Central Highlands-the brand

• Bringing together Government agencies, training
  and education providers, employers, CHRC,
  development bodies and branding the region for
  multiple purposes
• Recruitment for employers (LGMA-funded Regional
  Employers Alliance Project-REAP)
• General recruitment
• Grey nomads for seasonal work
• Immigration
• Promotion of the region for business
• Attracting new business to the region
• Aiding existing businesses develop
• Promotion of tourism for the region
• Promotion of the region as a great place and
  lifestyle
• Provides a conduit for information to be sent out
  to people and organisations providing services in
  the Central Highlands
• Brings together multiple projects and schemes
  working in parallel
• Able to be kept independent (not profit-focussed)

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• Communicate with
• A PROFESSIONAL APPROACH
• CONSISTENCY
• TRANSPARENCY
• Visit www.centralhighlands.com.au
• Many changes coming soon!!
• THANK YOU.Any Questions???