Go to top of page

Workforce Strategy

On this page

Whether working directly with children and young people or in support of those who do, attracting the best people to our department, selecting the best candidates, deploying them where it matters most and investing in their development is critical to achieving our ambition.

We’re developing a Workforce Strategy to clearly outline how we plan to do this.

Workforce Strategy vision

Our vision is to enable every person in our workforce to perform at their best so together we achieve growth for every child, in every class, in every school and preschool.

Developing the strategy

We have a large and diverse workforce, across many disciplines.

So that we can tailor our approach to the needs of specific employee groups, our Workforce Strategy is being developed in 4 chapters, each focusing on a specific workforce cohort:

  • Chapter 1: Aboriginal workforce
  • Chapter 2: Educational leaders and teachers
  • Chapter 3: Support for teaching and learning – classroom and student support
  • Chapter 4: Support for teaching and learning – corporate and administrative support.

A workforce plan will be developed for each cohort which, together, will form our Workforce Strategy.

Chapter 1: Aboriginal workforce

Having a strong Aboriginal workforce is key to improving outcomes for Aboriginal children and young people and creating an environment where all Aboriginal people can thrive.

This chapter addresses how to build and grow our Aboriginal workforce across the department, from Aboriginal Education Workers, teachers and leaders, to corporate employees and executives, and every role in between. It also outlines how we will develop cultural understanding, respect and capability in our workplaces.

The Aboriginal Workforce Plan 2021 to 2031 (PDF 518KB) was launched in early 2021.

Chapter 2: Educational leaders and teachers

Teaching and leadership are the 2 most important in-school factors that influence child and student outcomes.

In this chapter, we've identified how to attract, develop and support quality leaders and expert teachers to achieve growth for every child, in every class, in every school and preschool.

The Educational Leaders and Teachers Workforce Plan (PDF 11MB) was launched in Term 2 of 2022.

Chapter 3: Support for teaching and learning – classroom and student support

Thousands of people work with leaders and teachers to support the learning and development of children and students in our preschools and schools every day.

This chapter focuses on employees working directly with children and young people, including School Services Officers, Early Childhood Workers, and Allied Health Professionals.

School Services Officers who perform duties relating to school and preschool operations, such as business, finance and administration, will be included in Chapter 4.

The design of this workforce plan is currently underway with department employees and those who represent them.

Chapter 4: Support for teaching and learning – corporate and administrative support

Corporate and school administration employees provide expert advice and support to schools and preschools so they can focus on teaching and learning.

In this chapter, we'll address the needs of the diverse range of professionals across our school and system administration disciplines, including business managers, finance officers and corporate employees.

The design of this workforce plan will begin next year.

Information for department employees

Find out more about the Workforce Strategy (staff login required) and how you can get involved as a department employee.

Subscribe for updates

Subscribe to receive workforce strategy updates.

Workforce Strategy Team

Phone: 8226 1231
EmailEducation.WorkforceStrategy [at] sa.gov.au