The Victorian government’s Jobs and Skills Exchange (JSE) has this week transferred its employees and operations to the Victorian Public Sector Commission, in a machinery of government change nearly 18 months after its launch.
VPS commissioner Adam Fennessy on Tuesday said he was committed to the continued success of the JSE and “energised by the possibilities for its next phase of growth”.
“The commission and the JSE have a strong strategic alignment. We work closely on career and capability initiatives, and by working together in a more integrated and coordinated way we can offer greater benefit to the VPS,” he said.
The initiative was established within the Department of Premier and Cabinet in July 2019 as a way of advertising job opportunities exclusively to the VPS before advertising externally, and offers an online platform which can only be accessed by VPS staff.
Since its launch, almost 32,600 VPS employees have registered for the JSE, with the initiative helping to ensure the VPS workforce “is ready to deliver when Victorian’s need it most”, according to Fennessy.
“It has done this through the design and implementation of new approaches to workforce mobility,” he said.
“Importantly, the Jobs and Skills Exchange offers our employees career opportunity, skill development and supports flexible working and diversity in our workplaces.”
Read more: Existing Victorian public servants get first dibs on new government jobs in union deal
The recent state budget committed $8.97 million to the JSE for the next two years, to “enhance the mobility and development opportunities for the public service, as well as reduce labour hire usage and consultancy expenditure”.
“The exchange will also establish a central Victorian Public Service staffing pool, and encourage the lateral movement of employees to help to fill temporary vacancies and support surge staffing needs as part of the government’s coronavirus pandemic response,” the budget papers state.
According to the VPSC, the investment will also:
- Promote knowledge sharing across the VPS,
- Support flexible working arrangements, ensuring the workforce remains diverse, inclusive and retains strong talent,
- Align capability frameworks and future workforce planning with learning and development offerings and career pathways,
- Enhance the user experience of the online platform and its connectedness to human capital management systems.
The JSE will transfer to the VPSC as a complete business unit and will operate uninterrupted during the transition.
The government has set a target for 90% of VPS jobs to be advertised through the JSE in 2020-21.
Read more: Is there more to the VPS Jobs and Skills Exchange than meets the eye?
Any feedback or news tips? Here’s where to contact the relevant team.