Human Resources

Recruitment

Federation Council Human Resources Team has facilitated 57 recruitments in 2020/21; this includes permanent, part time and casuals.

The opening of the Corowa Aquatic Centre in April 2021 has increased the number of positions undergoing recruitment, with more services being provided in our community that were not available previously.

Recruitment again this year during COVID-19 has been a challenge, but Council continues to focus on being innovative and implementing change management strategies to fill most vacancies.

As with all Councils we have a small amount of applicants in some areas that have a shortage of skilled and experienced people across the country. Council’s strategy for this is to provide Traineeships and Apprenticeships in these positions within our critical service areas where possible, which also provides employment opportunities to our local youth and community.

A number of employees completed their traineeships and were successful in obtaining ongoing permanent employment within Federation Council and outside of Council, using their newly acquired skills.

Training

Federation Council continues to support, deliver and offer training opportunities to all its employees.

Annually there is always a large amount of compliance training that is mandatory and legislated, which is a priority for Council. Council also supports a number of career development training opportunities throughout its large workforce to provide a career path within Federation Council.

Council works collaboratively with schools in the area to provide work experience wherever possible and is looking at the potential for facilitating school based traineeships and apprenticeships in the future.

This year due to COVID 19, most training providers were not facilitating any training in the beginning. Most providers are now either providing an online service or a restricted numbers training in accordance with the COVID 19 guidelines. Unfortunately some training had to be cancelled or postponed due to lockdowns or changes in the Public Health Orders.

Workplace Injury Management

Federation Council embraces the benefits and positive impact it has on encouraging workers to recover at work whilst injured. We attempt to find suitable duties where practical for both injuries at work and injuries outside of work, to help our workers get back to full pre-injury duties.

Federation Council’s Claims frequency is well below the other Regional Councils and all of the NSW Councils claims frequency. Federation Council has achieved an outcome that aligns with its strategic approach to Workplace Injury Management.

Council’s proactive approach to work, health and safety together with our Recover at Work Program has had a major impact on these figures.

Covid-19 Challenges

Staffing during Covid-19 border restrictions and navigating the ever changing Permit systems has been challenging for Council. Council has had to take into account both NSW and Victorian restrictions, lockdowns, permit systems and public health orders during the past 12 months due to staff residing on both sides of the border.

Having a Covid Management Plan and making sure our staff have all the correct Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) in the workplace, staff working from home where practical under the restrictions and being flexible during these times has so far been successful, with little interruption to our services. Council has only had to shut down a couple of our face to face services for small durations during the past 12 months but have managed to continue enquiries over the phone.

Council has been very proactive in these unprecedented times and have kept not only our staff informed but our community as well.