Rural, remote and regional CLCs

1. Rural, remote and regional CLCs

2. ASU Workforce Survey 2007 • 1242 respondents in NSW/ACT • 153 from rural, remote and regional areas • Age and gender demographics reflected the industry in general • Majority of respondents were managers - 64%

3. Who participated? • 64% managers and 19.6% direct service workers • 4% from CLCs

4. Expectations • 52.9% said they would be working in the community sector in 5 years time • 17.3% said they wouldn’t • 35% said they were unsure

5. For those who stay….. • 71.8% - I believe in the work of the non govt community sector • 14.6% - I enjoy the client contact I have • 7.8% - I get good money and conditions for the work I do • 4.4% - I have good career development prospects

6. For those who don’t…. • 58.6% - I can get paid more for similar work elsewhere • 17.2% - I do not have enough career opportunities in this sector • 10.3% - I can get better conditions at work elsewhere • 8.6% - the nature of the work is difficult or risky • 1.7% - I do not have enough opportunities for training; Want permanent FT work and can only get casual or PT; Hard to move jobs from one part of the sector to another

7. Work conditions most valued • 32.4% - Higher rates of pay • 18.1% - Guaranteed minimum training provided by employer • 15.4% - Less stressful work environment • 14.1% - More opportunities to be promoted

8. Qualifications • 84.3% had a relevant qualification • 62.8% of this groups had a university qualification; 37.2% from TAFE

9. Barriers to gaining qualifications • Highest ranking barriers were: • Lack of time due to full time workload -33.3% • Cost of course – 28.6% • Lack of time due to family responsibilities – 24%

10. Barriers to recruiting/retaining staff • Low wages – 75.2% • Lack of skilled staff in my geographic area – 66.2% • Lack of career development opportunities – 42.8% • Nature of work risky or difficult – 36.6% • Inadequate conditions – 24.1% • Training options limited – 22.1%

11. Problems retaining quality staff? • 75.8% - sometimes • 15% - never • 9.2% - all the time

12. Expected turnover – 2 years • Less than 20% - 51.7% • 20-49% - 33.8% • 50-74% - 10.6% • More than 75% - 4%

13. Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander workers • Can’t attract workers to apply for jobs – 62% • Can’t find workers with the right skills for the job – 60.9% • Can’t provide training to skill workers for the job – 14.1% • Can’t provide culturally appropriate support to keep workers – 22.8%

14. Practical strategies – Funded incentives • salary loading to reflect degree of remoteness; • paying people at the top of salary scales • reimburse relocation costs; • annual airfares to visit family or friends; • salary sacrifice; • accommodation allowance; • greater recognition of experience in rural setting or qualifications; • study allowances; • assistance to attend professional conferences.

15. Practical strategies- peer support • A transfer system or exchange system between urban and rural CLCs • Help someone maintain professional links/contacts – funding for conferences and training, links with local lawyers in town, skype discussions, professional development phone discussions • Run specific rural campaigns that all other CLCs help out with

16. Practical strategies –information to attract staff • Up-to-date info about the town and region such as tourism resources • Provide info about resources available to support the position • Send sufficient info to enable decision-making about staying for the medium to long term not the short term • Make sure the offer of employment and appointment is clear – have all details in writing • Tap into the ‘sea change’ workforce? • Make sure workers get info about how to manage isolation

17. Practical strategies -orientation • Comprehensive orientation program and information kit for new employees • Strategies for feeling welcome in a new community – it takes time for personal and professional relationships to build • Don’t make someone “earn the right” to be in the community – overtly welcome them, eg ‘welcome to the community’ function. More likely to reach their full productivity more quickly • Meet on arrival and welcome. A starter pack of essential food! Flowers! Help with accommodation

18. Practical strategies • Opportunities for partners employment in the community; • Child care/education of children; • Make sure OHS and risk management issues fully covered especially for sole workers; • Exit interviews; • Identify if new workers will need specific skills eg. cross cultural training skills.

22. TELCO (Wills, 2003): • Privatisation of local health services • Declining union membership and activism • Loss of delegates rights • Contracted staff - lower wages/no rights • New, more powerful community-based mechanism to communicate directly with employer • “Recast” union issues as community issues • Strengthened negotiations for pay parity

23. Systematic program for skill development for union and community delegates/activists • New hope for change amongst union delegates/members • Community reciprocity - campaigning for other local priorities • Support from National officers of UNISON critical