In a tangible outcome of the NT Government’s partnership with Charles Darwin University (CDU), the Government today took receipt of a study into its Remote Workforce Development Strategy (RWDS).
Commissioner for Public Employment, Mr John Kirwan, said the RWDS provides crucial support and professional development activities for more than 2300 NT public sector employees based in remote areas.
“The evaluation report found that there are significant professional and personal benefits for employees who participated in RWDS initiatives,” Mr Kirwan said.
“Participating employees viewed their employers more favorably than those who had not participated.
“The evaluation highlights the kind of gains in NT public sector remote workforce development we have made through the Strategy.
“But the RWDS is a work in progress – we now have a credible of body of evidence to take the Strategy forward and better target our initiatives.
“The NT is the only jurisdiction in Australia to have developed and implemented a sector wide Remote Workforce Development Strategy.”
CDU Vice-Chancellor Professor Helen Garnett said the University looks forward to continuing to work with NT government agencies to provide credible and robust evaluations of government initiatives such as this one.
“CDU can support the work of government as well as business and industry through its many research facilities and services, to provide the necessary evaluation of programs in order to ensure that they are relevant, targeted and meaningful to those who use them.
“CDU’s Partnership Agreement with the NT government is a valuable tool which can help improved service delivery, policy development and planning for the benefit of all Territorians especially those in remote areas,” Professor Garnett said.
The evaluation report was today officially handed over to the Northern Territory Government, represented by the Member for Arnhem, Ms Barbara McCarthy MLA.
The NT Government employs over 2300 people, or about 14% of its workforce, in more than 130 remote locations across the Northern Territory.
The Northern Territory Government and Charles Darwin University signed a landmark Partnership Agreement in June 2003, with the aim of combining expertise and resources to foster Northern Territory development.
The evaluation of the Remote Workforce Development Strategy was commissioned by the Office of the Commissioner for Public Employment under the Partnership Agreement between Charles Darwin University and the Northern Territory Government.
Media Contact: John Kirwan (8999 4104)