Learning in Australian local government: A roadmap for improving education & training

Main Article Content

Ronald Woods
Sarah Artist
Geraldine O’Connor

Abstract

Faced with a context of national and state reform agendas as well as resource scarcity, Australian local government has pressing workforce development issues. This level of government is small in scale, geographically dispersed and subject to variations in state jurisdiction. These factors represent structural constraints to identifying and advocating a national approach for addressing workforce needs such as the provision of tailored education and professional development. This paper documents a sector consultation process exploring education and professional development for local government which aimed to identify needs on both supply and demand sides. The research found that aspirations for education and professional development tailored to the needs of local government aim to support the development of better local governance and leadership, and to address critical skills shortage issues. This may provide empirical grounds for promoting, planning, implementing and evaluating capacity-building initiatives in this third tier of government in the Australian federation.

Article Details

How to Cite
Woods, R., Artist, S., & O’Connor, G. (2016). Learning in Australian local government: A roadmap for improving education & training. Commonwealth Journal of Local Governance, (18), 108-126. https://doi.org/10.5130/cjlg.v0i18.4845
Section
Research and Evaluation (peer-reviewed)
Author Biographies

Ronald Woods, University of Technology Sydney

Teaching and Research
Centre for Local Government
University of Technology Sydney

Geraldine O’Connor, University of Technology Sydney

Senior Programmes Officer
Centre for Local Government