9 April 2024

Jobs Summit to help councils build a sustainable workforce

With long-term challenges in attracting and retaining staff in local government, an innovative jobs summit will be held on Wednesday 1 May at the Swissôtel in Sydney.

The inaugural Careers at Council Jobs Summit conducted by Local Government NSW on behalf of councils nationally will provide an opportunity for decision-makers to learn more about recent changes in the employment market.

Local Government NSW President Cr Darriea Turley AM said the summit would enable council officers and staff to share successful council practices that contribute to building a skilled and sustainable workforce.

“Ninety-one per cent of local governments across Australia reported they had experienced skills shortages in 2021-22”, Cr Turley said.

“Data from LGNSW’s HR Metrics survey of councils in 2022-23 found that the total staff turnover rate was 18%, which is above a generally healthy range of 9-12%.”

She said the summit would feature specialists in labour market analysis and employment marketing, along with council case studies that explore ways to better engage with our future workforce, from the school and university sectors and untapped talent pools.

The summit will discuss models of flexibility that work for employees and employers, the impact of job redesign, and effective succession planning. It will also look to the future and the impact of AI on job roles and service delivery.

“This is a crucial one-day event for local government HR recruitment teams, elected members, general managers, and hiring managers and I strongly recommend all those with an interest in our sector to attend,” Cr Turley said.

“We all know the difficulties and challenges that all councils are having with skills shortages and attracting and retaining staff.

“The LGNSW Careers at Council Jobs Summit is being held to facilitate the exchange of information and successful practice in attracting and retaining talent in local government.”

BACK TO ALL NEWS