Features
Career advisers get out to sea
By WO Peter Kenworthy

Edition 5007, 03 May, 2007
 
FACE-TO-FACE: LCDR Craig Tuffley discusses career management issues with WO Mark Donlan.
Photo: ABEWT Mark Newton
 
In the last 12 months HMAS Ballarat (CMDR Mal Wise) has spent 39 weeks away from Sydney, and recently returned to FBE following OP Resolute and Fleet Concentration Period Phase 3.

This absence had reduced the availability of our sailors to have face-to-face access to Career Management Staff. In re-establishing a closer working relationship between the Fleet Base East Career Management Centre (FBE LCMC) and Ballarat personnel, the Ballarat Ship’s Warrant Officer as the people capability manager, organised a visit from the FBE LCMC team.

To reduce interruptions to leave and training plans of sailors, divisional staff and the command team, the FBE LCMC staff under the leadership of WO Mark Donlan were embarked whilst Ballarat conducted degaussing in Sydney Harbour and engineering trials off Sydney Heads over two days.

Over sixty career interviews were conducted, in addition to specific career management presentations.

This career advice and assistance allowed the development of realistic and longer-term individual career plans for sailors and has led to improved morale.

The Career Managers were hosted by respective divisional staff and had an opportunity to discuss issues with HOD’s, the XO and CO. It also allowed the Ballarat command team to discuss personnel issues that could arise during the forthcoming Docking Ship’s Reduced Ability in the later half of 2007.

CPOET Russell Kerney of Ballarat said, “The ET Career Managers from FBE LCMC provided an excellent service to the WEE department onboard Ballarat during our degaussing day.

“They were keen, had a clear plan in place and had researched all personnel requesting an interview prior to their arrival.

“This not only represented their professionalism but also emphasised their willingness to provide a service to Ballarat personnel.

“On completion of all interviews, the ET Career Managers presented all the concerns raised to the WEE management team and included an action plan to provide feedback within a given time frame which they met.

“Overall the feedback from the WEE department junior sailors was of a positive and informative nature and I would recommend that this happens annually”.

The establishment of the four LCMC under the Sea Change initiative has introduced flexible face-to-face access to career managers for sailors, divisional staff and the command team.