Media release: The Australian Public Service—A Great Place to Work
“Four out five Australian public servants would recommend the APS as a good place to work. Just as many employees are proud to work in the APS” said the Australian Public Service Commissioner, Lynelle Briggs today when she launched the State of the Service Report 2006–07.
Overall job satisfaction levels among APS employees are high, with over 80% of employees on average, satisfied with the things that matter to them in the workplace. “These are really positive results, especially in a tight labour market where we are competing with the private sector for quality staff” Ms Briggs said.
The report shows that, adjusted for coverage changes, the number of staff in the APS has risen by 5.9% over the last year. This growth was driven by a requirement for the APS to implement a range of new initiatives under the previous government.
The report also shows that the APS is more educated and that it is increasingly diverse. “I am pleased that more younger people are joining our ranks, and that women are increasingly being appointed, on merit, to senior levels within the public service. There has also been an increase in the number of Indigenous Australians employed this year and Indigenous representation has stabilised at 2.1%” said Ms Briggs.
“This year there have been positive developments in public service leadership, including improvements in employees’ views about the capability of their leaders. There is, however, a need for greater investment in our middle managers to allow agencies to embrace new and more innovative approaches to their work. The APS has also achieved significant productivity improvements in recent years that compares very favourably with the economy as a whole.”
The report outlines five critical challenges facing the APS as it moves forward. These are the need for a greater focus on agency health and culture; building organisational capacity to support new ways of working; modernising APS employment; interactions with Government; and developing and sustaining the capacity of APS leaders. In rising to these challenges Ms Briggs said that “This election year presents significant opportunities for the APS. It is a time where we look forward to playing an important role in developing new policies and new and more effective approaches to government business”.
Copies of the State of the Service Report 2006–07 are available on the Australian Public Service Commission’s website: <http://www.apsc.gov.au>.
Contact Officer
Ngaire Hosking
Group Manager Evaluation
Tel: 02 6202 3707 or ngaire.hosking@apsc.gov.au
