| Specialist Area |
Qualifications |
Opportunities |
| Accounting and Financial Management |
B. Arts Accounting and / or Accounting / Management, B. Econs & Accounting, B. Commerce & Accounting |
Smaller local governments especially in non-metropolitan areas. Skills in IT are also highly regarded. Larger local governments seek people with skills in cash flow analysis. |
| Community Development / Community Services |
B. Social Science, B. Arts (Community Development), B. Arts (Sociology),
B. Social Work |
Larger local governments in the metropolitan area and regional centres
all play an active role in community development and the provision of community
services. Both large and smaller local governments are significantly involved
in policy development in the community services area. |
| Engineering |
B. Engineering (Civil) |
The Engineer in smaller local governments often has direct responsibility
for the outside workforce (roads, parks and gardens and environmental waste).
Larger local governments have a team of engineers involved in design, development
and construction of civil works. |
| Environmental Health |
B. Sc (Environmental Health) |
In smaller local governments the Environmental Health Officer may also
be responsible for overseeing construction programs within the local government,
therefore experience with the Building Code is highly desirable. The growth
area in Environmental Health is in waste management and recycling. |
| Landcare and Conservation |
B. Sc (Environmental Science), B.Agriculture |
This involves conservation and rehabilitation activities and the development
of regional management plans, in both rural and fringe metropolitan areas,
including working with community groups and other agencies. |
| Planning and Development |
Bachelors Degree in Regional & Urban Planning |
Town planners are highly sought after by all local governments. Growth
areas—such as fringe metropolitan areas and regional centres—have a particular
demand for planning staff. |
| Recreation and Leisure |
B. Social Science (Leisure Science), B. Science (Human Movement) |
Metropolitan local governments offer a range of services from centre-based
leisure programs to policy development and support of local organisations.
Leisure and Recreation specialists play an important role in health advocacy
and community development. |
| Library Services |
Bachelor of Arts, Media and information (Librarianship & Corporate Information
Management) Associate degree in Library, Technology (2 years) for library
technicians |
Most local governments employ library staff either on their own or on
a shared basis. The State’s library service is delivered through local governments
and libraries are now extending their range of services to include electronic
books and computer services, as well as archive management and historic
documents relevant to the local government. |
| Human Resource Management |
Bachelor of Science (Psychology), Bachelor of Science / Bachelor of Commerce
(Human Resource Management & Industrial Relations), Bachelor of Business
(Human Resource Management), Bachelor of Management |
Virtually all medium to large local governments employ human resource
management specialists. Smaller local governments may establish a shared
HR system and staff with other local governments. Staff training and development
as well as performance management are the growth areas. |
| Information Technology |
B. Science (Computer Science), B. Applied Science (Computer Technology),
B. Science (Information Technology), B. Computer Science, B. Science (Information
Systems), B Science (Internet Computing) |
Virtually all medium to large local governments employ information management
specialists with responsibility for intranet development, Internet management,
IT strategy development and information management in general. Smaller local
governments may contract out their IT requirements and/or develop a shared
arrangement with another local government. |
| Marketing |
B. Arts, Mass Communication, B. Communications (Marketing, Mass Communication,
etc) |
Larger metropolitan local governments employ a team in their marketing
units with responsibility for broad promotion, developing campaigns aimed
at specific issues and working with the councillors on civic promotions
and events. Some smaller local governments join forces to employ a marketing
specialist. |
Careers in Local Government
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