2016 DEFENCE WHITE PAPER

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CHAPTER SIX: PEOPLE
(APS) workforce of around 18,200 Full Time Staff Equivalent (FTE),
down from 22,300 FTE in June 2012.
6.17 Within this total workforce of around 18,200 FTE, enhancements to
intelligence, space and cyber security capabilities will involve 800
new APS positions. Four hundred new positions will be created in
information technology support, simulation, support to Navy engineering
and logistics, security, force design and analysis, and strategic and
international policy, including civilian policy officers posted overseas.
6.18 These new APS positions in areas of high priority will be offset by
ongoing reductions elsewhere in the APS workforce, including through
the reform of service delivery areas of Defence’s business, as part of the
implementation of the Government’s First Principles Review.
SECTION TWO CAPABILITY
Recruiting the people we need
6.19 As our defence capabilities become more technologically complex,
recruiting Australians with the right skills mix for these capabilities will
be even more important. It is not enough to have the best equipment – it
needs to be operated and supported by the best people.
6.20 Attracting and retaining the future Defence workforce will be a major
challenge. Being an employer of choice for Australians in a more
competitive labour market will require fundamental changes to how
Defence plans, manages, and supports its people. A concerted program
of recruitment, training and targeted retention will be required to support
this growth.
6.21 Attracting young Australians to an ADF career is a vital investment in our
country’s future. The Government reintroduced the ADF Gap Year Program
in 2015 and it will continue to grow. In 2015, the ADF Gap Year was
available for Army and Air Force and it is also available for Navy in 2016.