Overview of Learning & Development Strategy
Contents
Introduction
The Bracks Labor Government has a strong commitment to improving the quality of care to people with disabilities. This commitment stands alongside Government's commitment to value workers and to support their development and employment opportunities. Improving the abilities of workers in the disability field, signals to the community that people who care for those with disabilities are to be valued and retained in the sector. This is done by recognising current skills, provision of relevant professional development, succession planning and career paths.
The Disability Services Learning & Development Strategy is one of the key projects put in place to ensure that the workforce in both government and non-government sectors, has a standard process that identifies skills held and skills needed whilst supporting the acquisition of new skills to meet critical needs of clients.
Skill development is seen as the basis for the provision of the highest quality service to clients in both government and non-government sectors and a major influence in maintaining skilled staff through the provision of career paths and best practice learning models.
The implementation of a comprehensive Learning & Development Strategy is both critical and timely if we are to change the transient nature of the workforce and unsophisticated learning culture that currently impacts on all areas of the sector.
Aim
The aim of the Learning & Development Strategy is to identify, establish, implement and evaluate a range of strategies to embed a learning culture across both government and non-government disability services.
This Strategy will develop a consistent approach to learning and professional development across both government and non-government service providers. In particular it will focus on strategically accessing and using state and federal training funds to ensure consistent quality of training and assessment. This will in turn support consistent service delivery quality across both sectors regardless of size of organisation or geographical factors.
Access to qualification pathways for staff through training and recognition of current competency (RCC) will be a hallmark of this Strategy.
Background
It has been established from a number of sources (see below) that there are several key drivers, all associated with learning, necessitating the implementation of a strategic disability Learning & Development approach. These include the need to:
- Work to clearly profiled position descriptions that define competencies needed for the jobs in observable and measurable terms, and ensure that all staff possess the required level of competencies
- Implement a system of recognising the current competencies of the workforce in a structured and standard way and then training to the gaps
- Implement a systematic and consistent approach to recruitment and
selection of new staff to attract more trained workers to meet current
and future demand
- Redress the current costly and unacceptable rate of attrition as a result of a lack of career opportunities, inability to cope because of skill gaps and/or a feeling of being under-valued
- Ensure that DHS and agencies do not organise and/or pay for training that is already provided by the VET sector and universities
- Recognise that all staff across both government and non-government sectors are part of a whole service provision process and therefore need access to the same quality learning and assessment processes which will in turn lead to consistent quality service delivery
- Develop a range of flexible approaches to be more responsive to the varying learning needs of staff
- Undertake training needs analyses within a risk management context to ensure that training effort and resources are focussed on areas of greatest risk
- Evaluate the outcomes of learning & development activities to ensure that they continue to meet the needs of management and staff.
Evidence of these impediments to a highly skilled workforce has been provided by the following sources:
- The Victorian Auditor General's Office performance audit of Disability Services
- The State Workforce Plan Report
- Consultation regarding Complex Communication Needs project
- Consultation on the Classification Review and Workload Review
- Union commentary
- Anecdotal evidence from the workforce.
Integrating Learning & Development
To establish a learning culture in disability services, learning & development must be integrated into the organisational strategic framework and a quality human resource management system.
Other major projects or activities being carried out within Disability Services and the Department of Human Services which impact on, have links or potentially overlap include:
- State Plan for Disability Services Enterprise Bargain Agreement with the Health and Community Services Union (HACSU)
- Disability Accommodation Services Workforce Plan
- Human Resources Initiative.
Key projects
The current work being done aims to bring about cultural change while also undertaking particular projects to research and develop specific aspects of the Strategy. The key projects are:
1. Develop structured training in the form of Traineeships in full-time or part-time training programs.
- Research and establish a viable traineeship program that meets the needs of both government and non-government sector entry level and current workers, delivered and funded by the state/federal training system with a minimum of 2700 participants in the government sector by the end of 2003.
- Research and establish a range of full and/or part time pre-service training options for adult applicants entering the disability sector for the first time that caters for individual learning styles and preferred delivery options.
2. A shared induction and in-service training
model
- Develop and agree to a common model for the delivery of induction and in-service training across both government and non-government sectors which:
- Is flexible enough to be adapted to meet the primary needs of all parties
- Ensures all staff have equality in the standards of induction and on-going training
- Consolidates opportunities for learners to gain relevant skills at the appropriate level for their needs.
3. Development of a competency based training
and recognition process.
- Set up a competency based training and recognition process, that has the following characteristics:
- Based on an on-line 'Competency Bank' which defines the core competencies of all jobs at all levels across sectors
- Flexibility for individuals including on and off the job components
- Consistency in standards of training and assessment resulting in accreditation where appropriate.
4. Development of strategic networks with TAFE and Higher Education to facilitate the access and recognition processes.
- Stimulate and establish sustainable relationships at statewide and local levels between all service providers, VET and Higher Education to increase understanding of needs and services of all parties, in particular to:
- Expand the range and facilitation of flexibly delivered learning
- Strengthen and develop new pathways and recognition processes between the various training, assessment and accreditation outcomes
- Cross-fertilise the thinking between the VET sector, Higher Education and the Department around opportunities to support staff and clients through learning.
5. Facilitation and sharing of innovative learning and research practices through funded projects across the state.
- Provide funding to support partnerships set up between the Department and TAFEs and universities to develop innovative ways of accessing and utilising learning.
- Provide a mechanism for sharing the successes to increase innovation and creativity appropriate to the needs of the government and non-government sectors.
6. Development of quantified workforce data to inform strategic learning & development planning.
- Develop accessible and consistent data collection tools and systems across both sectors that will provide an accurate workforce profile to assist managers in effective workforce planning. Workforce profiles will have capacity to be provided to a local level for analysis of staff competencies, qualifications, classifications, demographics and workforce trends.
- Develop capacity to maintain workforce profiles for both sectors on-line.
7. Establish and maintain scholarships and awards programs.
- A program of scholarships awarded across the sector will support skill enhancement of individuals and organisations and in turn contribute to the increase in cross sector knowledge and skills.
- An awards program will enable due recognition to be given to staff who are committed to quality service and lifelong learning.
Management of strategy
Liz Wright, Manager, Disability Services Learning & Development Unit is undertaking the overall management of the Learning & Development Strategy under the auspice of Ann Wearne, Manager, Quality and Service Standards.
