The Australian Public Service Commission (APSC) has launched a new portal at the APSJobs website that will alert public sector workers of opportunities in the surge workforce during times of crisis. 

According to Commissioner Peter Woolcott, the platform offers a streamlined registration process, making it easier for public servants to volunteer their interest in participating in a surge workforce. 

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“We need to be prepared to mobilise our people in large numbers, so the APS is ready to support the Australian community during crisis,” he said. 

“This new portal will strengthen our short-term workforce, so we can respond seamlessly to critical government priorities or emergencies.” 

Woolcott further encouraged APS employees to register as the surge workforce offers personal and professional benefits. 

“[The portal] also reduces the administrative burden on agencies, who have much to gain from staff broadening their understanding of the wider APS and bringing back new skills and capabilities from deployments,” he said. 

Several public servants have stated that participating in the surge workforce allowed them to directly collaborate with agencies and learn new systems and procedures. 

“The support staff in Services Australia were great, very supportive and knowledgeable. I also felt great satisfaction that people that needed our help were receiving those payments to help them in a time of need,” one said. 

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Following the sign-off on the APS surge reserve years ago, which promoted the first mobilisation of over 2,500 public servants to areas of acute community need, such innovative deployments have become part of the federal government’s solution towards crises. 

The APS surge reserve has now been made a permanent fixture of the commonwealth disaster readiness arrangements and has been used multiple times to bolster the responsiveness of Services Australia. 

The surge reserve was once used in 2020 to deliver COVID disaster payments, in 2021 for flood relief assistance and pandemic leave disaster payments, and last year for another round of pandemic leave payments and Queensland-NSW flood response.  

Eliza Sayon

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Eliza is a content producer and editor at Public Spectrum. She is an experienced writer on topics related to the government and to the public, as well as stories that uplift and improve the community.

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