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Management of Human Resources
Training and Development Strategies
Focus
The Registry’s key training and development focus is on skills and competency development for the delivery of core business, and development of employability for employees through sustained training and education.
The strategies for staff development and training are integrated into the Registry’s team and classification structures, the team and individual performance planning arrangements and the ‘learning organisation’ provisions embedded in the Registry Agreement.
The team-based arrangements and the broadbanded classification structure have provided improved opportunities for employees to work flexibly across a wider family of skills, to develop competencies and seek increased mobility.
The team and individual planning processes have been an essential strategy through which teams can, both collectively and individually, identify particular career, training/further education and mobility issues applicable to the operations of the team (and the broader Registry) and the individual employees.
Learning on-the-job is the primary focus for development, but there are focused training interventions where required. Access to external training is provided only where there is a demonstrable business and personal need, but there is positive encouragement for employees to undertake longer term education and gaining of qualifications – financial assistance and paid leave is provided for formal learning in the new skills and training development package. Fourteen staff (8%) accessed the ‘studies assistance’ provisions of the Registry Agreement, mainly in the legal, business/management and information technology areas.
Outcomes
The major training interventions for 2000-01 related to the continued introduction of new technologies or systems to improve productivity and client service, or to meet government initiatives:
- staff were provided with training associated with the implementation of the new Windows-based Case Management System:
- CMS is being introduced in stages and training has been targeted;
- key employees were trained prior to the initial online launch and other Statutory Services Branch employees, particularly associates, have been receiving staged and ongoing training to use CMS;
- CMS was made the focus of the 2001 annual Associate Forum – all associates were able to attend a day’s training in Sydney in the use of CMS and forthcoming developments with the system;
- the staged introduction and training with case management has been a successful change management approach, and has allowed for improvements and problem resolution with the system, whilst allowing users to become gradually used to the system in a step-by-step manner;
- prior to the introduction of CMS, and to assist its introduction, Registry and Commission information technology systems were upgraded by a complete replacement of hardware and translation to the Windows 2000 operating system:
- all Commission Members and employees were provided with training to use the new equipment, operating system and the upgraded Microsoft Office 2000 suite;
- a series of short, focussed, modular training sessions for staff addressing the Microsoft Office 2000 suite of applications has commenced in order to build skills and increase efficiency – initial delivery has been in Melbourne with delivery to be extended to all offices over 2001-02;
- Commission Members, their staff, and selected other Registry staff were provided with training in the use of the Unified Messenger equipment/system allowing them access to integrated voice and electronic mail;
- a number of Commission Members were provided with ‘Dragonware’ voice recognition software and training, allowing them to quickly produce written draft documents without being limited by keyboard typing skills;
- a range of staff across the Registry have continued to enhance their skills in developing web pages as they continue to assist in the ongoing development of a Registry and Commission intranet, providing increased breadth of knowledge relating to such technology and facilitating the dissemination of information to the Commission and staff, with a reduced paper flow and productivity savings;
- Registry employees and contractors (in Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth) were provided with training in the use of the new videoconferencing facilities in Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra, Darwin and Perth – as well as providing increased flexibility and responsiveness for the Commission in hearing matters. The new equipment will also provide a means for delivering training to employees and contractors outside of Melbourne and Sydney.
Apart from technology, the major training focus in 2000-01 has been in ensuring the availability of quality personal assistance to the Commission. This has been in the form of training in associate duties both to new associates, including those employed for the five new Commission Members who commenced in 2001, and also to other employees and contractors to ensure that adequate relief is available for associate absences, and support. A new modular training program covering associate duties was developed, and three programs conducted in Melbourne and Sydney to train employees to provide relief. Whilst the Registry has built up the quantum of resources available for associate relief purposes, it still needs to deepen the knowledge of relief staff about associate duties: this can only come with experience and time. The training has been successful in creating a larger pool of staff able to undertake associate duties and maintain services to the Commission. In addition, training in aspects of duties related to the federal jurisdiction has been provided to associates of Members of the Industrial Relations Commission of South Australia holding a dual appointment to the Commission and undertaking matters in the federal jurisdiction. Training in associate duties was also provided to two staff of the Queensland Industrial Registry.
Graduate Program
The first participants (one in each of Melbourne and Sydney) in a new, annual ‘Graduate Program’ which encourages closer cooperation between the legal education and training fraternity and the Commission/Registry, commenced in October 2000. The program provides for the contracting of law graduates with an interest in labour law and related fields for a non-ongoing specified term of up to twelve months. The graduates are exposed to all facets of the Commission/Registry – from the processing of applications to the provision of associate services for Commission Members. The Graduate Program will be expanded in the next financial year.
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