Research Advisory Forum - workforce and volunteerism 2030

An effective and sustainable emergency services workforce needs to adapt and modernise to meet challenges and exploit opportunities into the future. The workforce and volunteerism Research Advisory Forum outlined the expected changes effecting the people and culture elements of emergency service organisations to 2030, and how the CRC’s research program is supporting these changes. It explored how we can tailor research to improve its value for developing a modern workforce and identify gaps and opportunities for further research and utilisation. 

This RAF brought together researchers and emergency services agency representatives to collaborate and discuss how contemporary research across Australia is influencing workforce and volunteer management strategies into the future. 

This RAF included breakout discussions on three key streams: 

Research presentations at this RAF were:

• Diversity and inclusion: building strength and capacity
• Improving decision-making in complex multi-team environments
• National mental health and wellbeing study of police and emergency services
• Enabling sustainable emergency volunteering
• Improving the retention and engagement of volunteers
• Out of uniform: building community resilience through non-traditional emergency volunteering
• QFES 2030 Strategy
• Planning and capability requirements for catastrophic and cascading events
• Male champions of change
• Northern Australia bushfire and natural hazard training
• Valuing volunteers – better understanding the primary motives for volunteering in Australia’s emergency services

The workforce and volunteerism RAF was held on Wednesday 8 May - the first day of the AFAC Workforce Management Group meeting, and the day following the AFAC Volunteer Management Technical Group meeting, to maximise participation from these groups.