Defence

Wordsmith

Ric Smith, Secretary

Learning from experience

Developing our civilian workforce

Education and training are important in the creation and sustainment of the skills and knowledge that Defence needs to meet its capability requirements.

Defence must be an organisation that focuses on learning and development for our people. Given the increasing complexity of modern warfare and technology, Defence's skill requirements are becoming more complicated and diverse. Key characteristics for both military and civilian personnel include skills critical thinking, analysis problem-solving, leadership and communication.

Potential skill shortages in the future and Australia's ageing population have forced us to rethink our provision of training and education. In recent years, we have implemented significant reforms to change our approach to the delivery of civilian training and education, expand and improve existing programs, and introduce new initiatives to improve our organisational skill sets and retain our civilian personnel.

Central to our reforms is a continuing shift towards a more integrated training and development system, covering both our civilian and military personnel. In keeping with our strategic priorities and our 'Results through People' philosophy, we are committed to improving individual and organisational capacity through sponsored learning and development programs, and through training associated with the Public Service Training Package.

The Defence Business Skilling Initiative is leading to more targeted and relevant training by aligning responsibility for deployment of business policies, processes and systems with the responsibility for ensuring provision of appropriate user education and training. Our training strategies are further reinforcing the responsibility of managers for ensuring the training and development of their personnel.

Much education and training is also undertaken by our civilian employees at their individual initiative. We encourage this, and will continue to support employees undertaking further education that contributes to Defence capability. For instance, the Secretary of Defence Scholarship, introduced in 2002, supports ongoing postgraduate research by civilian employees in areas significant to the organisation.

The Studybank scheme assists employees undertaking study at external institutions. This scheme complements both the training and career development objectives that will be enhanced in the new Defence Collective Agreement (DeCA) and is also aligned to the civilian performance management framework encompassing all Defence performance management schemes.

Similarly, the Defence Business Training Centre (DBTC) in Canberra, within the Defence Learning Services Network (DLSN), together with Education Training and Development (ET&D) personnel in regional centres, provides nationally accredited training and assessment services.

We are increasingly seeking to make good use of developments in technology that support learning, especially simulation and e-learning, and we are currently developing an infrastructure to support the implementation of flexible learning technologies, including online training and education materials through CAMPUS.

Defence also has a number of long-term strategic and collaborative arrangements with higher education providers and other government departments, and we remain committed to actively developing and fostering these relationships. In December 2003, Defence and the University of New South Wales signed an agreement for, among other services, a significant number of fully funded postgraduate coursework and research places at University College, Australian Defence Force Academy (ADFA).

The 2006 Australian Defence Force Parliamentary Program (ADFPP) also provides a unique opportunity for the attachment of Australian Defence Force members to Members' and Senators' offices, where they have the opportunity to understand how a political office operates.

We have achieved significant efficiencies in the provision of training and education over the past five years. The programs and initiatives looked at in this column provide us with the organisational and individual skills and knowledge that we need to undertake our jobs effectively and efficiently, and pursue our careers to the best of our ability. This greater effectiveness and efficiency, through more appropriate management and targeting, has benefits in terms of value for money as well as enhanced job satisfaction for our employees and members.

We are committed to strengthening our performance on many fronts, and will continue to develop a strategic framework, policy, and an implementation strategy for education and training that aligns with our strategic objectives. We will continue to encourage Australia's education and training sector to participate in the planning, development and delivery of programs that will contribute to Australia's security because, if our education and training systems degrade, so too does our Defence capability.

We must ensure that we remain properly and adequately prepared for the duties demanded of us, both now and in the future. The contribution to Australia's security made by education and training is important to Defence remaining an innovative and reforming organisation.

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