1 DEFENCE INDUSTRY SOUTH AUSTRALIA WORKFORCE STRATEGY (DISA WS) WORKFORCE ACTION PLAN 2014-2020 INTRODUCTION The Defence Industry Workforce Action Plan provides a structured approach to implementing a range of activities that support the Defence Industry South Australia Workforce Strategy (DISA-WS). It represents the output of step 4 in the Workforce Planning and Development Model, where workforce issues and gaps are identified and closing strategies are designed. This Workforce Action Plan should be read in conjunction with the DISA-WS where capabilities, critical requirements and critical vulnerabilities are outlined.
2 DISA WS WORKFORCE ACTION PLAN RECOMMENDATION 1 THE SOUTH AUSTRALIAN DEFENCE INDUSTRY WILL SPECIFY ITS WORKFORCE PRIORITIES IN ORDER TO INFORM AND INFLUENCE CHANGES WITHIN STATE AND FEDERAL GOVERNMENT POLICY AND FUTURE EDUCATIONAL PRIORITIES. Annual industry-driven collaboration with State, Federal Government Agencies and Educational Providers Establish key contacts within agencies and providers Conduct annual collaborations 2014 to 2020 Alignment of strategies between industry and State, Federal Government Agencies and Educational Providers Identify current strategies within industry, agencies and providers Highlight commonalities and opportunities for collaboration Integration of industry requirements and needs in the design of educational programs and STEM initiatives Identify current education programs and STEM initiatives Review against industry requirements and needs Provide advice on re-design Building and sustaining effective executive and working level relationships with Schools, Vocational Education and Training (VET) and Higher Education Identify existing relationships between industry and Schools, VET and Higher Education Enhance executive level relationships through industry representation on key strategic groups Strengthen working level relationships through fostering practical involvement in program design and delivery
3 RECOMMENDATION 2 - SPECIFIC WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT SOLUTIONS ARE REQUIRED FOR CURRENT AND FUTURE CRITICAL JOB ROLES, CONSIDERING POTENTIAL GROWTH, DECLINE, AND TRANSFERABILITY OF SKILLS. Monitoring of upcoming State Defence and Security policies Identify current State level Defence and Security policies, strategies and projects Draw out the implications for workforce capability and capacity Design ongoing workforce development strategies to address the gaps Defence SA Consideration of cyclical nature of the flow of work Using workforce planning methodology, conduct ongoing forecasting of workforce needs Adjust planning and policy approach to align to the forecast Annually Prioritising of jobs and skills in demand or decline Based on updated forecasts, identify jobs and skills in demand or decline Adjust workforce development strategies to address priorities Annually Benchmarking against high performing industries. Design and develop a capability assessment tool Provide an access point to the library of job skills profiles Defence industry Guide users on the use of the tool Undertake capability assessment activities Seek and report on results Aggregate data and provide workforce intelligence to industry and government Supporting the transfer of skills that underpin diversification across other sectors Identify sectors with common transferrable skills Strengthen innovation and knowledge transfer by enabling capability development Provide formal training on technological adaptation Other Industry bodies (As required) Create international relationships that foster the exchange of staff, students and researchers Provide access to industry specific short courses and overseas travel Provide access to relevant DMO/DSTO training courses Engaging with relevant partners in workforce initiatives and STEM activities Identify existing and new workforce initiatives and STEM activities Establish and build relationships with key contacts Influence solution providers through co-designing relevant activities Partners 2014 (As required)
4 RECOMMENDATION 3 - THE DESIGN OF A DEFENCE INDUSTRY CAPABILITY FRAMEWORK THAT MEASURES AND PLANS THE GROWTH OF AN ADAPTIVE WORKFORCE IS REQUIRED IN ORDER TO OUTLINE THE ESSENTIAL (MINIMUM) CAPABILITY THAT MUST BE RETAINED TO MAINTAIN A FUTURE INDUSTRIAL BASE. Identifying and Marketing: Define the relevant future job roles Core/common competencies required for all job roles; Functional competencies relating to skills across multiple job roles or projects, and Document the common/core, functional and job specific capabilities for the full set of job roles Seek industry validation on each component Create an online repository for the profiles Create user tools for industry use Job specific competencies Increased uptake of opportunities within Global Supply Chains Re-engage with key Global Supply Chain (GSC) representatives Conduct a market analysis into existing opportunities within GSC s Identify supplier qualification processes 2016 2017 Design and develop a GSC Ready program to re-educate suppliers, including: Business cultural awareness Supplier selection Opportunity management Project execution
5 RECOMMENDATION 4 - A GREATER FOCUS WILL BE PLACED ON SUPPORTING DIVERSIFICATION OF SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES (SMES) WITHIN THE SOUTH AUSTRALIAN DEFENCE AND SECURITY INDUSTRY, TO ENABLE AN INCREASED UPTAKE OF OPPORTUNITIES WITHIN LOCAL, NATIONAL AND GLOBAL SUPPLY CHAINS. Streamlined support services through State and national industry and Government Agencies Establish a single point of contact within Government at State and Commonwealth level to provide streamlined services; Collaborate with other Industry Associations and Peak Industry Professional bodies 2014/15 Fostering engagement in Industry cluster activities to build on Prime and peer relationships Identify existing cluster arrangements Analyze and align enterprise capabilities to relevant cluster/s Facilitate engagement between cluster members Undertake cluster activities 2014 2016 Innovation in approach to new markets Engage industry partners to provide thought leadership Provide opportunities for industry and research sectors to engage Explore innovative approaches to new markets Strengthening the mechanism for SMEs that enables better: Strategic planning Marketing Export readiness Identify current support mechanisms for SMEs Work collaboratively to identify capability gaps Undertake gap closing strategies 2014
6 RECOMMENDATION 5 - CREATION OF A GREATER AWARENESS AND EDUCATION OF THE DEFENCE INDUSTRY AS A BRAND. Positive marketing of good news stories Provide a clear definition of Defence Industry Identify good news stories that demonstrate the definition Establish mechanisms to effectively promote and create the brand 2014 Evidencing the capacity and capability of the industry to undertake major projects Identify success from past and current major projects, highlighting specific capability strengths Identify and promote current collaborative approaches within industry to demonstrate capacity Promoting the support given to Peace Keeping, Disaster Relief and Cyber Security Identify the role that Defence Industry currently plays in Peace Keeping, Disaster Relief and Cyber Security Create a greater awareness of the role Promote the value this brings to International Relationships Potential for jobs growth and career progression through future opportunities Reinforce future workforce predictions and areas for growth Highlight the potential future job roles and career opportunities Refocus on the pathways into and through the industry to progress career advancement Annually Highlighting the significant effort invested in Alliance Teaming, SME/supplier capability development, and Advanced Technology pathway and STEM related support. Identifying the investment to-date into related support Promote the benefits of the investment Outline future investment plans SA Government
7 RECOMMENDATION 6 - THROUGH FIRM COMMITMENT AND CLOSE COLLABORATION BETWEEN INDUSTRY, EDUCATION, ACADEMIA AND GOVERNMENT, A BIENNIAL REVIEW AND EVALUATION OF THE WORKFORCE STRATEGY WILL BE CONDUCTED OUT TO 2020. OUTCOMES WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT TARGETED SOLUTIONS LEAD TIMEFRAME Reconvening of the targeted steering and working groups Bienniel review to be conducted through reconvening the to oversee the implementation of: development program for practitioners in industry, 2017, 2019 Annual Quarterly Meetings Australian Standards for within industry to deepen knowledge and intelligence Proactive thought leadership through increased Chief Executive engagement via a workforce futures think-tank Consultation with targeted reference groups and stakeholders Consideration of State and national environmental changes and links to STEM Conduct a scan of the: Defence White Paper Defence Capability Plan 2016 Commonwealth of Australia budget Annual and Mid-term South Australian Government policy and strategy initiatives Global project opportunities STEM related policy and strategies DMO Industry Skilling Programs Identification of continuous improvement strategies Annual review of the DISA-WS Action Plan to: Track and report on progress Revisit the workforce development solutions Annually Identify actions for improvement