Frontline workforce
The Victorian Public Sector Commission (VPSC) uses Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO) to estimate the number of public sector employees in frontline occupations.
For our estimations, we classify a frontline worker as a Victorian Public Service (VPS) or sector employee who directly delivers services to the public or community as a primary function of their role (at least 70% of the time). Service delivery may or may not be in person.
How we breakdown the VPS and the public sector data:
- Victorian Public Service (VPS) – the 10 departments, the Victorian Public Sector Commission and administrative offices defined under the Public Administration Act 2004
- the public sector comprises all of the Victorian Public Service plus all other public sector bodies outside the VPS that have a public function.
We estimate that between June 2023 and 2024:
- around 2 in 3 public sector employees were employed in a frontline occupation
- there was a 4.3% increase of employees in frontline occupations.
Victorian Public Service (VPS) frontline occupations
VPS frontline employees worked in a variety of occupations including:
- custodial officer roles (3,331 employees or 3,229 FTE)
- child protection practitioner roles (2,771 employees or 2,527 FTE)
- community corrections practitioner roles (889 employees or 847 FTE)
- allied health roles (763 employees or 632 FTE)
- forestry field staff roles (703 employees or 698 FTE)
- youth justice workers roles (627 employees or 607 FTE)
- children, youth and families roles (545 employees or 510 FTE)
- housing officer roles (583 employees or 541 FTE)
- police custody officer roles (332 employees or 325 FTE).
Changes in frontline occupations
Major rises in VPS frontline roles:
- 9.7% (245 employees or 206 FTE) rise in child protection practitioners
- 42.6% (210 employees or 210 FTE) rise in forestry field staff (due to a transition of staff from VicForests to DEECA)
- 2.5% (81 employees or 85 FTE) rise in custodial officers
- 10.6% (60 employees or 57 FTE) rise in youth justice workers
- 12.8% (66 employees or 54 FTE) rise in housing officers
- 17.5% (24 employees or 23 FTE) rise in disability development and support officers.
Victorian Public Service (VPS) employees by occupational classification
Occupation classifications are outlined in the VPS Enterprise Agreement and 4 other enterprise agreements that cover specific employee groups.
People are assigned to an occupation based on the type of work they do.
Approximately 24% of VPS employees are employed in these occupation classifications.
Public entity occupations
Public sector occupations were categorised using the Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO).
Major rises in the overall public sector were driven by increases in public entity frontline occupations, specifically in health.
Rises include:
- 15.5% (2,925 employees or 2,148 FTE) rise in medical practitioners
- 9.6% (1,147 employees or 1,106 FTE) rise in health therapy professionals and health diagnostic and promotion professionals
- 9.4% (3,619 employees or 2,495 FTE) rise in carers and aides.
Employee numbers by Victorian Public Service (VPS) grade
The VPS grade classification structure is established under the VPS Enterprise Agreement 2020 and used across VPS agencies.
VPS grades are based on the requirements of the job.
Approximately, 76% of VPS employees are employed under this structure.