We will ensure long term data, digital and cyber workforce capability by providing career pathways and mobility opportunities, investing in continuous skill development and strengthening in-house expertise.
Horizon 1 initiatives (year 1)
EL2 and SES data capability uplift
Improve and expand on existing Senior Executive Service (SES) and Executive Level 2 (EL2) Data Leadership modules (APS Academy) and promote their broader adoption to build baseline capability across the APS leadership cohort.
SES Accountabilities for Data
Promote the SES Accountabilities for Data to assist agencies to empower their data leaders, treat data as an asset, make data-driven decisions and build appropriate data fluency and capability, including as it relates to privacy principles and ethics.
Implementing the SES Accountabilities for Data will give agencies greater oversight of their data holdings, enabling more effective, efficient, economical and ethical management of data, and leading to better policy, programs, and services for Australians.
APS digital skills program (pilot)
Take a collective approach to upskilling APS employees in critical technology, digital, cyber and adjacent roles through mobility into expert ‘host’ agencies where there are deep pockets of expertise. Mobility amongst First Nations employees and people with disability will be encouraged.
Host agencies will provide on-the-job training and mentoring, access to technology, learning courses and on-demand platforms, support with accessibility and cultural safety. In addition, there is the opportunity to learn alongside technical experts while working on projects that enable employees to implement their skills as they learn before returning to their home agency.
Senior Responsible Officer digital governance program
Empower Executive Level and Senior Executive Service leaders with the capability to lead and govern digital projects, driving a culture of continuous improvement and transparency through a unified approach to capability development that supports the success of digital transformation initiatives.
Support legacy technology transition
Partner with industry to develop and fund critical skill development programs for current and potential APS employees to maintain legacy systems while supporting the transition to modern systems.
Horizon 2 initiatives (years 2 to 3)
Technical fast track (digital skills uplift program extension)
Extend the APS digital skills program (Horizon 1), to accelerate the development of deep technical expertise at pace and scale through experiential and formal learning, linked to career pathways.
The initial focus of the fast-track pilot will be on highly specialised, high-demand roles and projects, informed by the Digital Project Pipeline.
Data capability uplift (academic extension)
Partner with academia and with industry bodies to foster development pathways that grow the general workforce data capability of the APS including targeted attraction campaigns for engaging First Nations and female graduates.
Transition to retirement guidance
Improve the retention of critical knowledge by developing better practice guidance and/or a toolkit for agencies to support conversations about retirement intentions, workplace flexibility options, knowledge transfer practices (including how to build this into contracts) and succession planning.
Horizon 3 initiatives (years 4 to 5)
APS digital micro-credentialing bootcamps
Partner with leading academia, industry and private sector technology leaders, and leverage Volume Sourcing Agreements to fund and co-design targeted micro-credentialing and capability development programs for employees.
Supporting activities and enablers
Key activities underway that support this plan.
APS Digital and Data Professions
The APS Professions model is a capability building initiative for APS employees working in critical disciplines where there is a shortage of specialists. Members of the Digital and Data Professions are provided with online communities, peer-based learning opportunities and career development.
APS Academy
The APS Academy fosters an APS-wide culture of learning. It works in collaboration with APS agencies and industry to build core public sector capabilities that drive high performance, including leadership capability and APS Craft.
The APS Academy will continue to reach into its broader academy network model across the APS to support APS-wide capability uplift.
APS Academy Campuses
APS Academy Campuses enable Australians looking for a career change and students in regional areas the opportunity to build their skills in data and digital roles in the APS, without having to leave their communities.
It is a pilot program established by the Australian Public Service Commission in partnership with the University of Newcastle and James Cook University in Townsville.
APS Data Capability Framework
The APS Data Capability Framework provides the foundation to building APS data capability and supporting data career paths. It is relevant to all people in the APS who work with and use data in some way. The framework is supported by a self-assessment tool.
Policy for the responsible use of AI in government and AI fundamentals training
To support agencies in the use of AI, the Australian Government developed and published the Policy for the responsible use of AI in government. The policy sets out how the APS will:
- embrace the benefits of AI by engaging with it confidently, safely and responsibly
- strengthen public trust through enhanced transparency, governance and risk assurance
- adapt over time by embedding a forward-learning approach to changes in both technology and policy environments.
The policy outlines mandatory agency actions, including identifying an accountable official for implementing the policy and publishing a transparency statement about the agency’s use of AI.
Under the policy, agencies are strongly encouraged to implement AI fundamentals training for all employees, and additional training where required for a role. The Digital Transformation Agency has developed an AI in government fundamentals training module to support agencies with implementing this recommendation. The module provides foundational knowledge of AI, the principles of safe and responsible use, and how to put these to work in the APS.
SES and EL2 Data Leadership modules (APS Academy)
These courses are designed to enhance data leadership knowledge and capability, focusing on the role data plays in the work of the APS and critical issues that impact on the availability, integrity and use of data. The aim of the course is to build a data driven culture and to maximise the value of public sector data through greater use and re-use.
Learning content has been created by the Australian National University (ANU) in partnership with the Australian Bureau of Statistics and the APS Data Profession. The courses are pitched at SES and EL2 officers working in policy, regulatory, corporate, service delivery and other roles where employees may not regard themselves as data professionals.
Curated ‘data’ learning offerings
A key focus of the APS Data Profession is building data capability across the APS through providing access to learning offerings.
The expanded list of approximately 150 courses mapped to multiple data job roles is accessible via the APSC’s Career Pathfinder tool.
In addition, APS employees will soon have access to a range of modules to develop deep contextual understanding of data in government. Topics such as the importance of trust in data and government, evidence-based decision-making, and data storytelling and visualisation are currently delivered by a range of APS agencies to data graduates.
Modules will be available to all APS employees from 2025 (via APS Learn) as a refreshed data fluency course offering.
APS Leadership Edge
APS Leadership Edge is a cohort-based social learning program which enables EL2 leaders to develop their leadership and management skills through a range of courses and activities. Four learning sprints are delivered in the program based on current APS needs and areas of interest.
Data and Digital Communities of Practice
Several Data Communities of Practice are hosted on the APS Data Profession’s Member Community Platform (MCP), some of which are shared between the APS Data and Digital Professions.
Communities of practice bring peers together to share knowledge. Since launching in 2002, the MCP has grown significantly to over 11,000 members in 2025.
Regional collaboration (AI)
The Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation on Artificial Intelligence between the Australian Government and the Government of the Republic of Singapore recognises opportunities for practical collaboration between the two governments on matters such as: the sharing of best practice; policies and research; data sharing; workforce competency development (including through training and certification programs); ethics and governance; and safety and standards.
Case study: Data capability uplift
The APS Data Profession: a multi-agency approach to developing capability
The APS Data Profession was established in 2020 and aims to uplift data capability across the APS. A signature initiative of the Data Professional Stream Strategy was streamlining data graduate recruitment through innovative recruitment practices to attract entry-level data professionals. The ABS has led the data graduate recruitment initiative since 2021 and has placed over 850 data graduates, with a further 300 vacancies expected to be filled through the 2025 intake. The number of participating agencies has increased over the last five years from 11 to 43.
To develop sophisticated data capabilities from the outset, the 'Introduction to Data in Government' modules were created through a multi-agency project team spanning the ABS, Department of Education, and Department of Social Services. These modules were delivered virtually in 2023 and 2024 to over 500 data graduates from 39 agencies by data experts across various APS agencies. The APS Academy’s Graduate Development Program and some facilitating agencies delivered the modules or a subset thereof to non-data graduates, demonstrating the modules’ value for general data capability uplift. The Data Profession is exploring e-learning options to help transform these modules into an accessible whole-of-APS data capability offering in APS Learn.
The APS Data Profession’s capability uplift initiatives extend to a Members’ Community Platform hosting 11,000 members, foundational products including the Data Capability Framework, Data Job Role Personas and data leadership courses for SES and EL2s.
Case study: Building internal capability to reduce contractor reliance
The Department of Home Affairs: from vision to reality - building APS teams
In September 2023, the Digital Workflow Platforms and System Support (DWPSS) section was established in the Department of Home Affairs to deliver and maintain the ServiceNow platform for both internal and external clients. The team faced a significant reliance on specialist external labour to support critical technical functions, including application enhancements and upgrades. This reliance resulted in knowledge retention challenges, high delivery costs and limited continuity of service.
Recognising the unsustainability of long-term contractor dependence, the department initiated a strategic effort to build internal APS specialist capabilities, foster a skilled in-house workforce and create a high-performance culture aligned with the department’s growth objectives.
Several milestones were achieved in seven months, including:
• conducting a comprehensive skills assessment, identifying Java development skill gaps and pinpointing roles with the highest contractor reliance
• developing a detailed training roadmap to upskill employees and ensure they attain necessary certifications
• leveraging the cadets program and non-ongoing recruitment to address workforce gaps
• providing cross-functional training to broaden employees’ expertise and foster collaboration
• drafting a succession plan to enhance employee retention and ensure critical roles are filled.
This initiative demonstrates that investment in internal talent can reduce contractor dependency while boosting operational efficiency, employee engagement and retention, ultimately creating a more sustainable specialist workforce for the future.