Susan Scowcroft - Workforce Issues Interview

Susan Scowcroft who the Executive Director of Community Services and Health Industry Training Advisory Body has been interview on workforce issues by Miguel Ferrero. This is a summary of the conversation

WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR CAREER PATH TO YOUR CURRENT JOB?My initial training and work as a primary school teacher. I then completed a second qualification in early childhood education and worked for a short time in disability support for childer under five. I then worked in the Children's Services area of TAFE NSW for about ten years, teaching early childhood development, out of school hours care. I also become involved in curriculum development and implementation of training packages in TAFE as a curriculum coordinator. At this time I also worked as a consultant to the Australia Broadcasting Authority assessing televisioon programs against the children's television standards criteria

WHAT IN YOUR OPINION ARE THE KEY WORKFORCE ISSUES FACED BY THE COMMUNITY SECTOR?The community services sector is so diverse it is difficult to pin down a couple of generic issues. However:
- Parity between the Government and the community sector job roles - equal pay for equal work
- Professional recognition for the work done by the Community Services workforce
- Maintaining a skilled workforce that is able to keep pace with the increasing complexity of client delivery - the breadth and depth of knowledge and skill required to work at entry level (let alone a higher level of case management) with clients who require increasingly complex interventions
- Working in an unregulated environment allows people to work without the necessary training and support
- Managing the contestable funding environment

WHAT STRATEGIES THE SECTOR COULD DEVELOP TO ADDRESS THESE ISSUES?Collaborative approaches to government
Linking professional development to training from the national framework to facilitate flexibility between sectors and organisations
Strong, current industry data across the sectors

WHAT IS YOUR ADVICE TO THE COMMUNITY SECTOR THAT COULD BE HELPFUL TO FACE THESE ISSUES?Not into advice!!!!! Continute to work together to explore the changing workforce challennges and needs. Agitate to change the NSW funding arrangements to recognise the importance of having training of staff recognised as an outcome for the service as well as client focused accountability.