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The ACT government workforce has grown significantly in the year to July 2020, led by extra healthcare and education employees. A greater proportion of ACT public servants were also permanent employees in 2019-20 compared to the year before. The ACT public service grew by 5.7 per cent – or 1321 employees – in the year, according to the State of the Service annual report. It was an increase on the 4.4 per cent growth recorded in 208-19. ACT Health Directorate experienced the largest growth of 14.6 per cent, followed by the Education Directorate. About 78 per cent of the workforce was made up of permanent employees, up on 76 per cent in the year prior. There were 24,529 employees in the ACT public sector in 2019-20 compared to 23,208 the year before. It was made up of 65 per cent women, with Canberra Health Services the biggest single employer. Some 0.1 per cent reported their gender as other than male or female. Head of service Kathy Leigh praised the workforce for its ability to adapt to working from home, with the pandemic highlighting the benefits of flexible working. “The calendar year opened with smoke, bushfire and hail,” she said. “We stepped up at short notice to manage the need to cancel public events, and to support the large numbers of Canberrans affected. “While these events were demanding, COVID-19 brought new and less familiar challenges. “From the rapid transition of our education system to remote learning, to the reorganisation of our wide range of community facing services to be COVID-safe while continuing to deliver for the people of the ACT, to the transition of our office-based workforce to working from home, every part of the ACTPS adapted to meet the challenge.” She said the pandemic had posed significant challenges, but had unlocked new ways of working and many efficiencies. “And encouraged collaboration, innovation and ingenuity which will support the ACTPS to continue to push boundaries to better serve Canberrans,” Ms Leigh said. “While we must remain alert to the challenges presented by COVID-19, I am immensely proud of the solutions-focused and positive approach of our public service.” The number of Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander people employed in the ACT public service grew from 423 to 489. The service had the equivalent full time positions of 21,777 during the year, making up 10 per cent of the ACT’s workforce. The average age of a worker was 42 and the median wage $81,301.
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The ACT government workforce has grown significantly in the year to July 2020, led by extra healthcare and education employees.
ACT Government head of service Kathy Leigh. Photo Jay Cronan
A greater proportion of ACT public servants were also permanent employees in 2019-20 compared to the year before.
The ACT public service grew by 5.7 per cent – or 1321 employees – in the year, according to the State of the Service annual report.
It was an increase on the 4.4 per cent growth recorded in 208-19.
ACT Health Directorate experienced the largest growth of 14.6 per cent, followed by the Education Directorate.
About 78 per cent of the workforce was made up of permanent employees, up on 76 per cent in the year prior.
There were 24,529 employees in the ACT public sector in 2019-20 compared to 23,208 the year before.
It was made up of 65 per cent women, with Canberra Health Services the biggest single employer.
Some 0.1 per cent reported their gender as other than male or female.
Head of service Kathy Leigh praised the workforce for its ability to adapt to working from home, with the pandemic highlighting the benefits of flexible working.
“The calendar year opened with smoke, bushfire and hail,” she said.
“We stepped up at short notice to manage the need to cancel public events, and to support the large numbers of Canberrans affected.
“While these events were demanding, COVID-19 brought new and less familiar challenges.
“From the rapid transition of our education system to remote learning, to the reorganisation of our wide range of community facing services to be COVID-safe while continuing to deliver for the people of the ACT, to the transition of our office-based workforce to working from home, every part of the ACTPS adapted to meet the challenge.”
She said the pandemic had posed significant challenges, but had unlocked new ways of working and many efficiencies.
“And encouraged collaboration, innovation and ingenuity which will support the ACTPS to continue to push boundaries to better serve Canberrans,” Ms Leigh said.
“While we must remain alert to the challenges presented by COVID-19, I am immensely proud of the solutions-focused and positive approach of our public service.”
The number of Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander people employed in the ACT public service grew from 423 to 489.
The service had the equivalent full time positions of 21,777 during the year, making up 10 per cent of the ACT’s workforce.
The average age of a worker was 42 and the median wage $81,301.
