Artificial intelligence (AI) represents a significant and complex change for the APS workforce, both now and over the coming years. Managing workforce change in a strategic and systematic way through long-term, structured workforce planning, will be fundamental to enabling the APS to harness the benefits of AI while supporting employee engagement, maintaining public trust and ensuring the workforce adapts as roles, skills and ways of working evolve.
Maximising the opportunities provided by AI while carefully managing workforce impacts and risks requires a strong focus on workforce planning. To support this, the AI Workforce Planning Taskforce has been established in the Australian Public Service Commission (APSC) to help understand and address these issues and uplift workforce planning capability across the APS.
What will the AI Workforce Planning Taskforce do?
The AI Workforce Planning Taskforce will deliver on the APS AI Plan’s vision statement and key actions under the People pillar by:
- providing a centralised infrastructure and shared workforce planning solution that reduces duplication and provides a system-wide view of APS capability, supporting agencies to manage AI-driven changes in job design, skills and mobility
- developing a structured approach to guide agencies through workforce transition, supported by regular engagement with staff and unions to ensure approaches are inclusive, ethical and transparent
- strengthening public trust and confidence through partnerships with the APS Academy and other key agencies to align capability building and workforce planning.
- Through this work, the taskforce will support agencies and HR professionals to better understand and respond to the workforce impacts of AI. This includes supporting the identification of critical roles, skills and capabilities, assessing workforce readiness and guiding targeted capability uplift programs over time.
What can you do?
The AI Workforce Planning Taskforce will provide more information and engagement options as they develop. In the meantime, enquiries can be directed to ai.wfp.taskforce@apsc.gov.au.