Our People

The department’s Victorian Public Service (VPS) People Strategy 2021–24 focuses on 4 areas that have the most impact on its delivery and performance. These are Connected Culture, Purposeful Leadership, Enabled and Capable, and Inclusive Organisation. These focus areas guide our building of existing workforce capabilities and support staff to do high-quality work in an inclusive, safe and respectful workplace. An annual workplan contains actions in each focus area, that are aligned to the department’s organisational people initiatives, WoVG initiatives and key workforce reforms.

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the department has changed how we work and where we work from. Hybrid working – where employee flexibility is encouraged, and staff work both in offices and remotely – is now a permanent feature of the department’s operations. To support the ongoing hybrid working model, the department is implementing a Hybrid Roadmap that includes tangible actions to improve its hybrid working infrastructure, culture and employee experience. These actions focus on:

  • driving paperless and digitalised operations
  • building capabilities and behaviours critical for hybrid work
  • implementing better practice models for stakeholder engagement and professional learning.

The Gender Equality Action Plan promotes workplace gender equality in line with the Gender Equality Act 2020. The Plan addresses gendered structural and cultural inequalities and ensures a gender equitable, safe, inclusive and respectful workplace for all staff. The department has a range of programs and initiatives in place to support workplace gender equality, including the department’s VPS People Strategy 2021–24.

The department also remains committed to school and corporate staff wellbeing. The Safe and Well in Education Strategy assists all departmental employees to understand their health, safety and wellbeing accountabilities, responsibilities and the supports available to acquit these. It builds stronger mental health and wellbeing by creating a shared culture of responsibility and support. The Strategy simplifies the management of health and safety compliance and provides expert advice and hands-on support to prevent and respond to emerging risks. By implementing the Strategy, the department is creating and maintaining an environment where safety and wellbeing are central to how we learn and work.

Updated