2016 DEFENCE WHITE PAPER

Recruiting the people we need 151
6.22 Defence is expanding programs focused on recruiting and retaining
Australians with the science, technology, engineering and mathematics
skills it needs. Defence is reintroducing the Defence Technical
Scholarships program for Year 11 and 12 students to support ADF
recruitment and expanding APS cadetships to provide a career pathway
in Defence for science and technology professionals. Defence will
seek to attract people with the skills it needs in this area with enhanced
employment offers. These programs will have a particular focus on
attracting and recruiting women and Indigenous Australians.
6.23 There is strong competition to recruit people with the technical, analytic,
and project management skills and experience needed for important
intelligence and security roles within Defence. Defence will continue to
create flexible new initiatives to compete effectively for people such as
those needed for intelligence and security roles.
6.24 Women are under-represented in Defence. Presently, 15 per cent of
the ADF workforce and 41 per cent of the APS workforce are women.
Increased female participation in the Defence workforce, and in senior
leadership, will continue to be a focus in order to broaden Defence’s
access to the considerable skills and capabilities within the Australian
community. To grow and advance the female workforce in Defence,
the organisation is focusing on attraction, recruitment and retention
of women, the removal of barriers to progression, and facilitating
development through mentoring and development opportunities.
Defence APS graduate recruitment will continue to include a focus on
increasing the representation of women at this important entry point to
the APS.
SECTION TWO CAPABILITY
6.25 Defence will increase the attractiveness of a military career for women,
including through targeted recruitment initiatives, retention measures
and career support. Defence will improve the representation of women
across Defence, including in leadership and technical areas, and has
already removed the gender-based barriers preventing women from
2016 DEFENCE WHITE PAPER