4. A Diverse Workforce: Reflecting the ACT Community

4.1 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employees made up 1.6 per cent of the total ACTPS workforce at June 2017.

As part of the ACTPS’s journey to a more inclusive workforce there were multiple pathways and programs established during the 2016-17 reporting period to support and encourage the employment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples in the ACTPS. The Whole of Service Employment Inclusion Team has focused on expanding whole of government inclusion employment initiatives, developing diversity employment resources and providing direct support to directorates to assist the ACTPS in increasing disability employment across the workforce.

Following the success of the pilot Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Traineeship in 2015-16, the second Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Traineeship commenced in 2016-17. The program provides Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander participants with the opportunity to gain skills and knowledge, establish valuable networks across the ACTPS, and affords participants with professional development opportunities. Upon successful completion of the program, trainees are offered permanent positions within the ACTPS.

Further information on programs and initiatives implemented during 2016-17 to improve the employment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples in the ACTPS can be found at Section B2 of the Head of Service Annual Report.

Progress continues to be made towards reaching the diversity target of 407 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employees by 30 June 2019. As shown in Table 17, at June 2017 the employment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employees had increased to 1.6 per cent (350 employees).

The 2016 Census revealed that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples represented 2.8 per cent of the population, up from 2.5 per cent in 2011 and 2.3 per cent in 2006³⁰. In the ACT, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples represented 1.6 per cent of the Territory³¹. Positively, at June 2017 the proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employees in the ACTPS was equivalent to the proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples in the ACT community.

Table 17 – Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Employees (June 2012 – June 2017)

	June 2013	June 2014	June 2015	June 2016	June 2017
Headcount	238	253	299	313	350
Percentage of total workforce	1.2%	1.2%	1.4%	1.5%	1.6%

Of the 350 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employees:

• CSD had the highest proportional representation of employees identifying as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employees at 4.1 per cent, followed by EPSDD (3.5 per cent) and JACS (2.8 per cent);
• the average salary for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employees was less than the average ACTPS salary ($79,838 compared to $90,350);
• generation Y comprised the largest age group (177 employees);
• the separation rate of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employees was higher than the separation rate for the whole ACTPS (11.4 per cent compared to 7.9 per cent); and
• Trainees and Apprentices made up the largest classification of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employees at 18.8 per cent, followed by Rangers at 7.3 per cent and Legal Support Officers at 5.0 per cent.

Table 18 – Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples Snapshot (June 2017)

Total Employees (Headcount)	350	Age
Total Employees (FTE)	310.1	Generation Y	177
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples by directorate  (% & Headcount)		Generation X	106
Chief Minister, Treasury and Economic Development	1.1% (27)	Baby Boomers	67
ACT Insurance Authority	0%	Pre-Baby Boomers	0
Independent Competition And Regulatory Commission	0%	Employment Type
Land Development Agency	0.9% (N/A)	Permanent	229
Long Service Leave Authority	0%	Temporary	94
Community Services	4.1% (37)	Casual	27
Education	1.5% (99)	Full Time / Part Time Employment
ACT Teacher Quality Institute	0%	Full Time	258
Environment, Planning and Sustainable Development	3.5% (21)	Part Time	65
Health	1.0% (76)	Casual	27
Justice and Community Safety	2.8% (50)	Average Salary	$79,838
Transport Canberra and City Services	2.1% (39)	Median Salary	$73,447
ACTPS Total	1.6%	Separation Rate	11.4%

The 2017 Agency Survey asked directorates to report whether their directorate had a RAP in place in the 2016-17 reporting period, and if so, what the key attributes of the plan were, and what activities/initiatives were undertaken by the directorate to promote/implement the plan. A RAP is a framework for an organisation to realise their vision for reconciliation. Reconciliation Australia notes that having a RAP gives an organisation the best chance of achieving Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander engagement objectives and increasing the attraction and retention of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples.³²

All seven directorates reported having a RAP in place during the 2016-17 reporting period. The key purpose and key attributes of each directorate RAP varied slightly by directorate. Some of the key attributes of directorate RAPs included;

• encouraging personal reconciliation journeys;
• building cultural proficiency across the directorate;
• increasing joint reconciliation initiatives across the
  ACT Government and the community to improve    culturally appropriate services to Aboriginal and Torres  Strait Islander Peoples;
• engaging employees in the creation of an    organisational culture, enriched by the diversity and  knowledge of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander  Peoples;
• deliver services in a way that acknowledges and understands Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture and history; and
• support the attraction, retention and capability building of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employees.

Directorates reported various activities and initiatives used for the promotion and/or implementation of their RAP, including through information on their directorate website, intranet and email, and through celebration of significant days, such as Reconciliation Week and NAIDOC Week.

Snapshot: Reconciliation Action Plan

Chief Minister, Treasury and Economic Development Directorate

CMTEDD developed and launched its first RAP in 2016-17. The artwork for the CMTEDD RAP was a key focal point of the plan, which represented a tangible act of Reconciliation in itself. A group of female Ngunnawal Elders came together to create a traditional possum skin cloak. Possum skin cloaks were once an everyday item for Aboriginal people in South-Eastern Australia, and played an important role in their culture. From birth, babies were wrapped in a few pelts sewn together, and as they grew, further pelts would be added to create a full-sized cloak. The possum skins would be painted in ochre telling the story of the land and the individual, so that at old age the cloak would tell the story of their life. A possum skin cloak had not been created by the Ngunnawal people in roughly 200 years. By supporting the creation of the cloak, the practice has been able to be revived in a very meaningful act of reconciliation.

CMTEDD has begun implementation of the RAP, with a major focus in the early stages being the communication strategy to build awareness of the plan. The RAP has been made widely accessible through a variety of mediums, and is being incorporated into future CMTEDD induction programs.

CMTEDD has been successful in delivering an Innovate RAP as its first RAP, meaning the directorate is committed to making tangible changes towards improving the outcomes of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples in CMTEDD, and in the ACT community. Key deliverables of the RAP include:

• supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander education and employment pathways through the provision of support and funding for Vocational Education Training (VET);
• the construction of a Bush Tucker Trail in the Southern Tablelands Ecosystems Park at the National Arboretum;
• support and provision of funding to support recreation opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples;
• support and provision of funding for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander arts and tourism products;
• procurement policies designed to promote the use of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander suppliers; and
• internally focused programs targeting recruitment and retention of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples.

Shown in Table 19 are the employment strategies used by directorates/public sector bodies since 2012-13 to attract Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples to the ACTPS.

Table 19 – Employment Strategies for the Attraction of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples (2012-13 – 2016-17)

Employment Strategies	2012-13	2013-14	2014-15	2015-16	2016-17
Identified positions	7	7	9	7	7
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Traineeship	7	4	4	7	7
Work experience	2	4	4	4	3
Positions in the ACTPS Graduate Program for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples	5	3	4	6	6
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cadetship	1	1	0	0	0
Mentoring programs	n/a	n/a	n/a	3	3
School based apprenticeships for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples	n/a	n/a	n/a	3	2

All respondents; 2012-13 = 14, 2013-14 = 15, 2014-15 = 14, 2015-16 = 8, 2016-17 =7

In 2016-17 the most commonly used employment strategies for the attraction and retention of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples to the ACTPS were identified positions, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Traineeship and positions for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples in the ACTPS Graduate Program.

It is positive to note that all seven directorates are utilising the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Traineeship as a means to attract Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples to the ACTPS, given the work that has been put in to make this program run successfully for the second year. It is also positive to see that all seven directorates are using identified positions in the ACTPS Graduate Program in an effort to employ more Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples.

In addition to the employment strategies listed in Table 19, directorates also reported using the following strategies to attract Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples to the ACTPS:

• participation in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Career Development Program;
• mentoring groups for senior Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employees to provide support and career pathway advice for junior Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employees;
• participation in career expos and community events, promoting the directorate as an employer of choice for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples; and
• advertising employment opportunities through a variety of media sources including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander publications/media and through specialist Indigenous recruitment organisations.

Graph 10 – Strategies to Support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Employees (2016-17)

As shown in Graph 10, the most commonly reported strategies used to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employees during 2016-17 were Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employee networks and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural awareness training.

Other strategies that were used to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employees during 2016-17 were:

• establishing a formal Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Employee Network to provide ongoing support to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employees;
• working closely with the Whole of Service Employment Inclusion Manager to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employees;
• participation in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Career Development Program;
• directorate specific Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander mentoring programs;
• undertaking directorate specific employee surveys, providing an opportunity for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employees to identify areas of concern about workplace culture and opportunities;
• promotion of the Murranga Murranga Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Employee Network;
• encouraging active participation and leadership from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employees in the development/implementation of directorate specific RAPs; and
• working with, and maintaining positive relationships with Indigenous Employment Service providers.

Directorates were asked to report on the strategies utilised in 2016-17 to ensure that an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander person was on the selection panel when recruiting to an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander identified position. Some of the common strategies identified were:

• utilising recruitment guidelines to stipulate that an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander person must sit on the selection committee for positions that are identified for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples; and
• mandatory recruitment training for selection committee chairs, so they are aware of the selection panel composition requirements for the recruitment to Aboriginal and Torres Strait identified positions.

4.2 People with Disability

Employees who identified as a Person with Disability made up 2.4 per cent (521 employees) of the total ACTPS workforce at June 2017.

The AND defines disability as ‘any condition that restricts a person’s mental, sensory or mobility functions. It may be caused by accident, trauma, genetics or disease. A disability may be temporary or permanent, total or partial, lifelong or acquired, visible or invisible’³³.

According to the AND, one in five Australians have some form of disability, with 2.1 million Australians of working age (between 15 to 64 years old) having a disability³⁴.

The ACTPS is committed to reflecting the community it serves, and increased employment of People with Disability is an ongoing priority for the ACTPS.  Diversity targets, supported by directorates, continue to support the ACTPS to achieve these increased numbers of People with Disability in the ACTPS.

As discussed in Section B2 of the Head of Service Annual Report, various employment initiatives were implemented during 2016-17 to support directorates to increase the participation of People with Disability within the ACTPS. Two inclusion traineeship programs are currently underway to provide People with Disability additional employment pathways into the ACTPS. Resources and disability confidence training is being rolled out for mangers and general employees, and there are plans to develop several more employment initiatives during the 2017-18 period.

Table 20 – People with Disability Employees (June 2012 – June 2017)

	June 2013	June 2014	June 2015	June 2016	June 2017
Headcount	384	415	437	458	521
Percentage of total workforce	1.9%	2.0%	2.1%	2.2%	2.4%

Of the 521 employees who identify as a Person with a Disability:

• Executives make up the largest classification of People with Disability at 6.0 per cent, followed by Administrative Officers at 3.6 per cent and Senior Officers at 3.5 per cent;
• the ACT Insurance Authority had the largest proportional representation of employees identifying as People with Disability at 5.6 per cent, followed by the Land Development Agency at 4.5 per cent;
• the average salary for People with Disability was just above the average ACTPS salary ($90,504 compared to $90,350);
• generation X comprised the largest age group (203 employees) and pre-baby boomers were the smallest age group (5 employees); and
• the separation rate of People with Disability was slightly higher than the separation rate of the whole of the ACTPS (10.4 per cent compared to 7.9 per cent).

Table 21 – People with Disability Snapshot (June 2017)

Total Employees (Headcount)	521	Age
Total Employees (FTE)	464.4	Generation Y	173
People with Disability by Directorate (% & Headcount)		Generation X	203
Chief Minister, Treasury and Economic Development	4.0% (98)	Baby Boomers	140
ACT Insurance Authority	5.6% (N/A)	Pre-Baby Boomers	5
Independent Competition and Regulatory Commission	0%	Employment Type
Land Development Agency	4.5% (5)	Permanent	402
Long Service Leave Authority	0%	Temporary	89
Community Services	4.1% (37)	Casual	30
Education	1.8% (121)	Full Time / Part Time Employment
ACT Teacher Quality Institute	0%	Full Time	376
Environment, Planning and Sustainable Development	3.4% (20)	Part Time	115
Health	1.9% (137)	Casual	30
Justice and Community Safety	2.1% (39)	Average Salary	$90,504
Transport Canberra and City Services	3.3% (63)	Median Salary	$83,766
ACTPS Total	2.4%	Separation Rate	10.4%

The 2017 Agency Survey asked directorates to report whether their directorate had a Disability Action Plan in place during the 2016-17 reporting period, and if so, what the key attributes of the plan were and what activities/initiatives were undertaken by the directorate to promote/implement the plan.

Three of the seven directorates reported that they had a Disability Action Plan in place during the reporting period. These three directorates reported undertaking various initiatives to promote their Disability Action Plan, including through directorate email and intranet, through directorate Inclusion Officers and through the provision of Disability Awareness training.

Snapshot: Disability Action Plan

Justice and Community Safety Directorate

In May 2016 JACS launched their Employment Action Plan for People with Disability. Key objectives of the Plan include:

• attracting People with Disability to the directorate: increasing employment opportunities and outcomes by improving internal recruitment processes and supporting materials, and actively engaging the community to increase employment opportunities for People with Disability;
• improving the retention of employees with disability: improving workplace culture from within the directorate by increasing employee awareness about People with Disability, making reasonable workplace adjustments, improving employee management practices, and promoting self-identification through JACS internal systems;
• providing career development for employees with a disability; and
• enhancing the capability of all JACS employees to better understand, encourage and support colleagues and clients with disability.

Table 22 – Employment Strategies for the Attraction of People with Disability (2012-13 – 2016-17)

Employment Strategies	2012-13	2013-14	2014-15	2015-16	2016-17
Identified positions	5	3	2	1	2
Disability Traineeship	2	2	0	0	4
Work experience	3	5	2	3	1
Positions in the ACTPS Graduate Program for People with Disability	1	0	3	4	4
Disability Cadetship	0	0	0	0	0
Mentoring programs	0	0	0	0	0
School based apprenticeships for People with Disability	0	0	2	2	2

All respondents; 2012-13 = 14, 2013-14 = 15, 2014-15 = 14, 2015-16 = 8, 2016-17 = 7

For the 2016-17 reporting period the most used employment strategies for the attraction and retention of People with Disability to the ACTPS were; positions for People with Disability in the ACTPS Graduate Program and the Inclusion Traineeship. Of the directorates that were able to access data relating to the number of employees engaged through the initiatives mentioned in Table 22:

• seven employees were engaged through the Inclusion Traineeship;
• seven employees were engaged through positions in the ACTPS Graduate Program;
• three employees were engaged through identified positions;
• 105 employees were engaged through work experience positions; and
• two employees were engaged through school based apprenticeships for People with Disability.

Graph 11 – Strategies to Support People with Disability Employees (2016-17)

As shown in Graph 11, the most commonly reported strategies used to support People with Disability employees during 2016-17 were use of the whole of government Reasonable Adjustment Policy, followed by Disability Awareness training.

Other strategies that were used to support People with Disability employees during 2016-17 were: working alongside the Whole of Service Employment Inclusion Team, promotion and coordination of Disability Confident Managers training, holding directorate specific disability awareness sessions, and providing information at directorate induction sessions.

Directorates were asked to report on how they ensure managers and supervisors are aware of the requirement to investigate, and where practical, make reasonable adjustment(s) following disclosure of a disability. Common methods included:

• providing Disability Awareness training for managers;
• promotion through emails;
• information provided in recruitment and selection training;
• information provided in directorate recruitment guidelines;
• use of the ACTPS Manager’s Toolkit; and
• promotion and distribution of the AND Managers’ Guide: Disability in the Workplace and other practical resources to managers and supervisors.

Directorates were asked to report on whether they made any applications for reasonable adjustment and/or financial assistance to the Commonwealth Job Access Program during the 2016-17 reporting period. Table 23 shows that of the seven directions, four made an application for reasonable adjustment and/or financial assistance.

Table 23 – Applications to the Commonwealth Job Access Program (2016-17)

	Number of Directorates
Yes	4
No	3

When asked to report on the strategies implemented to ensure accessible workplaces, directorates reported utilising strategies such as:

• conducting a workplace accessibility audit/building accessibility audit of existing office locations to ensure ongoing compliance with legislative requirements for accessibility;
• use of a Work Health and Safety Committee or Workplace Consultative Committee, allowing employees to raise and resolve health and safety issues;
• access to RED Contact Officers;
• regular workplace inspections completed by Health and Safety Representatives;
• provision of induction checklist for managers and supervisors; and
• use of the whole of government Reasonable Adjustment policy.

In order to place People with Disability in employment within a directorate, the directorate may work with a Disability Employment Service provider. Six of the seven directorates reported engaging a Disability Employment Service provider during the 2016-17 reporting period, including;

• Advance Personnel Management;
• Enabled Employment;
• Habitat Personnel;
• Koomarri;
• LEAD Employment Services;
• MEGT;
• Nexus Human Services;
• Sarina Russo Job Access; and
• Vision Australia.

Graph 12 – Inclusion Strategies to Maximise the Participation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Employees and People with Disability on training courses (2016-17)

During 2016-17 the most used strategy for maximising the participation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employees and People with Disability on training courses was targeted advertising through networks (utilised by five directorates). Three directorates also reported using targeted invitations to apply and reserved places for target group employees as strategies utilised.

4.3 Cultural and Linguistic Diversity

A Culturally and Linguistically Diverse workforce is one that has employees who:

• are from different countries;
• have different cultural backgrounds;
• can speak languages other than English; and/or
• follow different religions.

In the ACTPS, Culturally and Linguistically Diverse employees made up 18.2 per cent (3,970 employees) of the workforce at June 2017. As shown in Table 24, the past five years has seen a small but steady increase in the proportion of Culturally and Linguistically Diverse employees in the ACTPS, from 16.1 per cent in June 2013 to
18.2 per cent in June 2017.

The 2016 Census revealed that one third (33 per cent) of the Australian population were born overseas, and nearly half (49 per cent) of Australians had either been born overseas or one of both parents had been born overseas³⁵. In 2016, 83 per cent of the overseas-born population lived in a capital city, with 1.7 per cent (105,161 people) of Australia’s overseas-born population residing in the ACT.³⁶

In 2016 more than one fifth (21 per cent) of Australians spoke a language other than English at home, with over 300 languages spoken in Australian homes.³⁷

Table 24 – Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Employees (June 2013 – June 2017)

	June 2013	June 2014	June 2015	June 2016	June 2017
Headcount	3,218	3,453	3,626	3,756	3,970
Percentage of total workforce	16.1%	16.8%	17.3%	17.7%	18.2%

Of the 3,970 Culturally and Linguistically Diverse employees:

• generation X comprise the largest age group (1,685 employees) and pre-baby boomers were the smallest age group (13 employees);
• the average salary for Culturally and Linguistically Diverse employees was slightly less than the average ACTPS salary ($86,295 compared to $90,350);
• the highest proportion of Culturally and Linguistically Diverse employees was found in the  Independent Competition and Regulatory Commission at 30.0 per cent, followed closely by the Long Service Leave Authority (28.6 per cent), Health Directorate (26.2 per cent) and TCCS (25.1 per cent);
• the separation rate of Culturally and Linguistically Diverse employees was lower than the separation rate of the whole of the ACTPS (5.5 per cent compared to 7.9 per cent); and
• for the third consecutive year, Dentists/Dental Officers made up the largest classification of Culturally and Linguistically Diverse employees at 52.9 per cent, followed by Transport Officers (42.2 per cent) and
  Bus Operators (40.4 per cent).

Table 25 – Cultural and Linguistic Diversity Snapshot (June 2017)

Total Employees (Headcount)	3,970	Age
Total Employees (FTE)	3582.0	Generation Y	1,397
Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Employees by Directorate (% & Headcount)	Generation X	1,685
Chief Minister, Treasury and Economic Development	18.8% (463)	Baby Boomers	875
ACT Insurance Authority	5.6%   (N/A)	Pre-Baby Boomers	13
Independent Competition and Regulatory Commission	30.0% (N/A)	Employment Type
Land Development Agency	16.1%  (18)	Permanent	2,902
Long Service Leave Authority	28.6% (4)	Temporary	805
Community Services	16.0% (143)	Casual	263
Education	10.4%  (685)	Full Time / Part Time Employment
ACT Teacher Quality Institute	16.7% (N/A)	Full Time	2,812
Environment, Planning and Sustainable Development	12.1%  (72)	Part Time	895
Health	26.2%  (1,940)	Casual	263
Justice and Community Safety	9.2%  (167)	Average Salary	$86,295
Transport Canberra and City Services	25.1%  (472)	Median Salary	$80,577
ACTPS Total	18.2%	Separation Rate	5.5%

Data on ACTPS employees’ country of birth shows that ACTPS employees are predominantly born in Australasia, with 71.5 per cent (15,615 employees) of the ACTPS workforce reporting Australasia as their place of birth. The next highest location after Australasia was Asia, with 11.4 per cent (2,484 employees) of ACTPS employees reporting they were born in Asia.

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^{30 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Population: 2016 Census Data Summary.
31 Ibid.
32 Reconciliation Australia (2016, July). RAP, About http://www.reconciliation.org.au/raphub/about/
33 Australian Network on Disability, August 2017, Disability Statistics: https://www.and.org.au/pages/disability-statistics.html
34 Ibid.
35 Cultural Diversity in Australia: 2016 Census Data Summary http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Lookup /by%20 Subject/2071.0~2016~Main%20Features~Cultural%20Diversity%20Data%20Summary~15.
36 Ibid.
37 Ibid.}