As an organisation that employs close to 160,000 people, the Australian Public Service (APS) needs to have a continued focus on building the skills and capability of all staff.
Nate Riley from the Australian Public Service Commission (APSC) spoke about his career journey through the APS. He explained the ways he’s maintained this focus and contributed to building APS capability across the service.
‘I help people perform their roles to the best they can and solve problems’.
Like many of us, Nate’s career is woven through varied roles and areas of the APS. He started out as an APS1 in an entry-level role, when a friend suggested he move to Canberra to study and work in a public service call centre.
Since then, Nate has built experience, gathered knowledge and made connections with people. He transitioned from a public facing role to human resources. Now he works as an expert improving the capability in public service agencies at a whole-of-government level.
‘I certainly I wouldn’t be here if I hadn’t reached out more broadly, talked to people and showed some curiosity and interest in work outside of my own’.
Nate’s role as a learning and development professional at the APSC is varied and gives him pride in his contribution.
‘It’s almost like I’m proud of what my fellow public servants have achieved because I feel like I have helped them, in a small way, to achieve it’.
Nate has worked on the APS Learning and Development Strategy and the thriving APS Learning and Development Community of Practice. He’s also managed the APS Academy Faculty where he got insight into what senior leaders are thinking about the APS learning ecosystem and the direction they are setting.
Learning and development practitioners across the APS, just like Nate, help people perform their roles every day. They’re working to build people’s skills for the future and are equipping them with the knowledge they need to go through uncertainty and changes in their career.
‘I really like it because when people’s roles change there can be uncertainty, a sort of anxiety, and learning and development practitioners have the opportunity to really help them through those career-defining moments in their career’.
Read about how we’re building the capability of the APS to create a skilled and confident workforce.
Learn more about Learning and Development in the APS.