Workforce Issues Interview - Renée Koonin

Renee Koonin who is the General Manager of "The Housing Connection" has been interviewed by Miguel Ferrero on workforce issues affecting the sector.

What has been your career path to your current job?
I have not consciously thought about a ‘career path’. Instead the guiding force during my career has been about where I can best serve the interests of social justice. I have found that I have the most freedom to seek these goals in the non-government community sector. In addition, I worked in management positions from very early in my career because I observed that it is up to management to create an environment in which workers can thrive and be creative.

What in your opinion are the key workforce issues faced by the community sector?

There are a number of workforce issues that require urgent attention. These include:

§ Valuing the work of the sector and having parity in wages with government sector employees doing similar work.
§ Education and skilling of the workforce.
§ The ageing of the workforce. We need to present the sector to young people as a vibrant and exciting context in which to work and one which provides a great sense of fulfillment.

What strategies the sector could develop to address these issues?

There are a number of strategies needed including:

§ The proposed NCOSS/FONGA Industry Plan
§ Establishment of minimum qualifications for the sector with a phasing in period – I believe that values are the most important determinant for the capacity of people to work in our sector so do not wish to exclude anyone with the right values. We could give them a two year period in which to gain vocational qualifications after they enter the sector if they demonstrate the qualities we need.
§ Success in the current wage claim being conducted by the ASU
§ Effective marketing of the sector such as the campaign undertaken in Victoria by VCOSS.
§ More effective relationships between Government and the sector

What is your advice to the Community Sector that could be helpful to face these issues?

As a sector, we need to take responsibility in addressing these issues. We need to ensure we work in and develop organizations of the highest quality with respect to governance, management and human resources development. We need to be professional and articulate in how we present our organizations.

It is an enormous joy and privilege to work in the sector and we need to communicate this.