Mature workers in the NSW Public Sector

The ageing of the population is creating significant challenges for the public sector workforce now and into the future.

The Mature Workforce Retention Project (MWRP) was set up to explore how the NSW public sector can maintain delivery of essential services as the labour market contracts and demand for services (particularly health and human services) increases as the population ages.

The project designed and piloted strategies and products to retain staff to provide essential services and to retain the critical knowledge and skills of staff who were due to retire.

The MWRP was initiated by the Office for Ageing in the NSW Department of Ageing, Disability and Home Care (DADHC) and progressed through a partnership with the then NSW Premier’s Department. The following NSW public sector organisations participated in phase one of the project:

• NSW Health,
• the Office of State Revenue,
• the Department of Ageing, Disability and Home Care,
• Country Energy, and
• the Attorney General’s Department.

WorkCover NSW later joined the project.

Phase One of the project is complete, with each agency implementing mature workforce action plans. Agencies have posted details of this work on their Intranets.

Phase Two has developed a NSW Government Sage Centre website for public sector employees and other practical tools. Some of the practical tools include case studies and templates for:

• organisation risk assessment
• attracting “maturity” check list
• recruiting “maturity” check list
• engaging and retaining “maturity” checklist
• managing retirees checklist

As part of the broader project a seminar program for HR and public sector line managers has been running to build awareness and showcase tools that assist in managing this issue in each agency.

The NSW Government is developing a policy framework and action plan to improve opportunities for older people to remain as independent and healthy as possible.

Other Mature Workers Strategies and Reports

1. Commonwealth Mature Workers Strategy

In March 2004 the former Commonwealth Department of Families and Community Services launched its Mature Workers' Strategy - making them the first Australian Government agency to develop a comprehensive plan for encouraging and supporting their staff to continue working with them beyond the age at which they would normally retire.

2. Private Sector Mature Workers Report

CPA Australia is the sixth largest accounting body in the world. In September 2006, they released a report - A Mature Solution - which outlined findings from CPA Australia's Mature Age Employment Project.

The aim of CPA Australia's Mature Age Employment Project was to examine the viability of retaining mature age accountants in the workforce to meet the demand for skilled accounting professionals.

The key findings included:

• lack of connection between available workers and employment opportunities
• need for particular skills training
• overcoming obstacles to stay in the workforce
• the importance of preparation
• new skills needed for employers
• challenges for recruitment companies

Read the full report for the complete findings with case studies.

3. Retirement Intentions Survey Report.

In June 2006, the Public Employment Office in the NSW Premier’s department released a Retirement Intentions Survey Report.
The report is based on the largest survey of employees ever undertaken in the NSW public sector. The survey has provided information on which to base policies for managing our ageing workforce.