Goal - Gannawarra Shire Council

18
OUR WORKPLACE
Gannawarra Shire Council employs 184 people in the fields of administration, operational
works, engineering, planning, family day care, parks and gardens, records management,
community services, information technology, executive management, libraries, human
resources, communication, customer service, risk management, occupational health and
safety, maternal child health, asset management, environmental health, local laws, child
care, finance, and community development.
TABLE 1: Examples of training courses
attended and numbers of attendees in
2010/2011
Participants in Community Services
Training Courses
First Aid Level 2 25
Dementia 23
Manual Handling 27
Managing Tricky Behaviours 5
What Can we say about food? 4
Mental Health First Aid 6
Certificate III in Children’s Services 6
Diploma of Children’s Services 8
Bachelor of Training (early Childhood) 1
Health Coaching 3
Motivational Interviewing
Flinders Chronic Condition
4
Management - Aboriginal Health. 1
Veteran’s Home Care VIEW training 1
Implementing a Care Plan 1
Person Centred Care
Cognitive impairment and Psychosis
1
in Dementia 1
Participants in Library Training Courses
First Aid Training renewed 2
RSA 2
New GSC Website Maintenance
Certificate III Library &
1
Information Services
Diploma of Business
1 (first year)
Management 1 (final unit)
Diploma of Management
Impact Leadership 1 (first year)
GANNAWARRA SHIRE ANNUAL REPORT 2011
Council operates under the provisions
of the Local Government Award and
the Gannawarra Shire Council
Enterprise Bargaining Agreement 2010,
and has a strong commitment to the
application of the equal employment
opportunity, occupational health and
safety, and risk management principles
and directives. Our goal is to provide a
safe, healthy and pleasant workplace
where our skilled and professional
workforce is recognised and diligent in
the ethical performance of their roles.
New team members at Gannawarra
are introduced to the organisation
through a comprehensive induction
process including information on the
workplace, terms and conditions of
employment and details of the
organisation’s operations, policies,
Chief Executive Officer Directives and
procedures. The process was reviewed
and enhanced in 2010/2011 as part of
the organisation’s continuous
improvement program according to
the principles of Business Excellence.
Council strives to be an employer of
first choice and therefore continues to
seek new ways to develop its people
and improve the organisation. For
examples of staff training see Table 1.
SCHOLARSHIPS AND WORK
EXPERIENCE
Skills and workforce shortage is a
challenge for any rural community.
Gannawarra has sought to address this
skills shortage and encourage local
people to work locally by supporting
the provision of scholarships and work
experience at the Shire.
During 2010/2011 a third scholarship
was advertised and a recipient chosen
from a range of worthy applicants.
The scholarship entitles the successful
applicant to study books and travel
subsidies, and work placement
experience at Council.
Gannawarra Shire Council also hosted
work experience students in the past
financial year. Work experience
students from Kerang Technical High
School and Cohuna Secondary College
spent their week of work experience in
the Infrastructure, Planning and
Regulatory Services directorate and the
busy Customer Service unit of the
organisation. Council’s Children’s
Centre provided support for Early
Childhood students on work
placements from Charles Sturt
University, BRiT, Ballarat University,
Sunraysia TAFE, MADEC and the
Victorian Training Group. The centre
also welcomed work experience
students from Boort Secondary College
and Kerang Technical High School.
Maternal Child Health and
Community Care also provided
placements for medical students.
OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH
AND SAFETY
Council is committed to providing its
employees, volunteers, contractors
and visitors with a healthy and safe
work environment. Council objectives
are to: