The LGA is encouraging councils to revisit and refresh their local workforce strategy working with partners and focus on joint workforce planning.
The LGA has set out the current climate and developing challenges for the local government workforce and identified actions for us and our partners to take to help the sector be ready for the future.
The LGA will be developing an approach to help councils focus on actions in priority areas over coming months and years and will be coordinating dialogue and shared learning across the sector. We will also examine what further research is needed to enhance workforce statistics.
In the interim, there are a variety of actions that councils can take to assess how ready their workforce is for the future and meet likely challenges:
- revisit and refresh their local workforce strategy, working with partners, based on the shared visions set out in this document
- focus on joint workforce planning with partners
- participate in our discussions to help ensure we are focusing on the right priorities for action, as set out in the section on assessment of strategic priorities
- continue to be alert to external pressures such as the developing legislative framework, challenges in the local labour market, and the changing demands of resident expectations
- assess the current profile and opinions of the workforce
- develop scenarios for resource prioritisation using the five key themes
- understand, share and learn from best practice.
Councils also need to think about:
- how best to ensure the indirect workforce in outsourced services is able to fulfil its potential
- helping local providers and partner organisations in understanding how to engage their workforces and how the five themes can help in this.
The next ten years present a unique series of challenges and the sector must work collaboratively to achieve real workforce transformation. Together, local government and its partners can ensure that they stand ready to meet the challenges of a changing world.