About the policy

Standards

The Government Sector Employment Act 2013 (GSE Act) and the Government Sector Employment Rules 2014 (GSE Rules) contain mobility provisions that can benefit both the department and employees in their professional development.

The department:

• supports employees in their professional development
• recognises the benefits in creating a skilled, diverse and engaged workforce
• encourages employees to take charge of their own development pathways and career goals.

The Capability Framework describes the types and levels of capabilities required to perform a role. Capabilities are generally listed in role descriptions and can help employees and their managers identify the capabilities in which an employee seeks or needs development to meet their career goals. Further information can be found on the Public Service Commission’s The Capability Framework.

Employees can build their capabilities in many ways. The department’s 4E Continuous Learning Model (PDF 102 KB) categorises development activities into 4 classifications:

1. Experience – events that generally occur while the learner is at work.

2. Exposure – learning that involves building interactions and relationships experiences and knowledge acquisition.

3. Environment – tools, systems and infrastructure used in the workplace.

4. Education – defined learning experiences and knowledge acquisition.

The employee must consider what they will achieve from an opportunity in relation to the learning model and consider using all 4 categories of learning throughout their professional development journey.

1. Mobility opportunities

Temporary mobility opportunities (Table 1) allow ongoing employees to expand their experiences, work in different roles, develop new skills and take on additional responsibilities while retaining their ongoing role.

The department can benefit from employee mobility as it can bring new skills, perspectives and ideas into the department.

Table 1 Mobility type, eligibility and duration

1.1 Temporary assignments

Temporary assignments are used to place employees with an ongoing role into a temporary role. They can be:

• above-level – performing a higher- grade role to the employee’s substantive role for up to 12 months
• at-level – performing at the same grade as the employee’s substantive role, for up to 24 months.

The employee returns to their most recently assigned role at the end of the temporary assignment.

Employees:

• should speak to their substantive manager before applying for a temporary role, about being released for a temporary assignment
• must have their manager’s endorsement before accepting a temporary assignment.

1.2 Secondments

Secondments:

• are only available to ongoing department employees
• may be at-level, above-level, or where the employee consents, to a lower level. The seconded employee’s remuneration cannot be reduced without their approval
• may be full time or part time
• are subject to the employee being suitable for the role, position or work assigned
• are for a maximum period of 2 years, after which the employee returns to the department to their substantive role or another suitable at-level role
• may be employee or employer initiated
• allow an employee to remain a department employee while gaining experience in another government sector agency, non-government sector body, or role within the department that is covered by different employment legislation
• may be subject to probity and screening checks
• must be processed through the Corporate Recruitment team.

2. Professional development opportunities

Professional development can help ongoing and temporary employees achieve their career goals. Opportunities can be accessed through a range of options, as outlined below.

2.1 Performance and development plans

Performance and development plans (PDPs) allow ongoing and temporary employees to take charge of their development and career growth.

PDPs provide an opportunity for employees to reflect on their past achievements and set goals for the coming year, and:

• discuss with their manager how they will contribute to department and team priorities
• discuss with their manager how their goals align with the focus areas in the department’s Plan for NSW Public Education
• work with their manager to create pathways and identify suitable development opportunities to achieve their goals
• have their manager clarify their performance and development goals and provide regular, actionable feedback.

2.2 Acting up

Acting up is when an ongoing employee is placed in an above-level temporary assignment (refer to section 1.1 Temporary assignments).

The manager or delegate may directly appoint an ongoing employee to an above-level temporary assignment for up to 12 months. This often occurs when employees take leave.

Supporting information

• Education support staff recruitment

2.3 Job shadowing

Job shadowing is an on-the-job training where an employee observes and works with another employee. It is usually an informal arrangement and may be requested by the employee or initiated by their manager.

For a new ongoing or temporary employee (or employee in a new role), they may shadow a more experienced colleague in the same or similar role. The relationship enables the new employee to observe how their colleague works in the role, learn skills, gain experience and ask questions. The employee may have key learning outcomes to meet through job shadowing.

Job shadowing can also be used as a development opportunity for employees considering or being considered for other roles or duties. This may include acting up or cross-training for backup, succession planning and relief. Job shadowing can be for one part of a role, for example, reporting to a manager’s meeting that occurs monthly, or it can be for several days or weeks to learn as much as possible about a role.

The employee and their manager are encouraged to discuss participation in job shadowing and how it aligns to the employee’s learning and development plan as part of their PDP.

2.4 Mentoring

Mentoring is a professional relationship between 2 people, a mentor and a mentee:

• An effective mentoring relationship is based on mutual respect, transparency and trust.
• A mentor is in a more senior role and is more experienced than the mentee.
• The mentor and mentee do not need to have the same area of expertise or from the same agency.
• The mentee leads the mentoring relationship.

Mentoring is different from coaching or training – mentoring takes a holistic approach to the mentee’s development beyond knowledge and skills, and towards career development. A mentoring relationship is mutually beneficial to the mentor and mentee.

A mentor:

• shares their successes, failures and lessons learned
• helps a mentee to grow their skills, knowledge and confidence
• shares different perspectives, contexts and methods
• gains personal reward from supporting another’s growth.

2.5 Talent pools

A talent pool consists of a group of candidates who have been selected through comparative assessment and met the capabilities required for a role. They cannot be placed from an expression of interest (EOI).

Talent pools are established and used to fill ongoing or temporary, full-time or part-time roles. They may be:

• agency talent pools, established and used by public service agencies
• shared talent pools, jointly established by 2 or more public service agencies, for shared use by those agencies
• NSW public service talent pools, established by the Public Service Commission (PSC) for use by all public service agencies.

Talent pools may be established by:

• advertisements specifically seeking candidates to be placed in a talent pool for multiple roles
• external advertisements for roles, when there may be similar roles to be filled in the future
• candidates found suitable after comparative assessment.

2.6 Learning and development

Learning and development opportunities available to ongoing and temporary employees may include:

• programs available through the department
• programs available through the PSC
• private study, including tertiary and postgraduate qualifications, and micro credentials.

Supporting information

• Crown Employees (Public Service Conditions of Employment) Reviewed Award 2009.

2.7 Leadership programs

Employees may participate in a range of leadership programs offered by the department, the PSC and other external providers.

The Corporate Talent Development team maintains The Learning Centre on SharePoint, which lists available and relevant opportunities, including:

• dates and how to apply
• internal programs
• department-endorsed external programs
• e-learning.

People with disability

The Board Observership Program is a pilot program run by the PSC established to support the disability awareness and confidence of the PSC Advisory Board.

Refer to the PSC Advisory Board Observership Program.

Aboriginal leadership development

The Aboriginal Career and Leadership Development Program run by the PSC facilitates career and leadership development for high potential Aboriginal peoples in the NSW public sector who aspire to leadership roles.

Refer to the PSC’s Executive Excellence programs.

2.8 Networking

Professional networking involves meeting people who share a profession, industry or interests. Building connections with a variety of people can help an employee:

• expand their knowledge, opportunities and professional support network
• foster new connections and use communication and social skills
• exchange and grow ideas
• find a mentor.

Record-keeping requirements

Mandatory tools and templates

• Education support staff recruitment

Supporting tools, resources and related information

Policy contact