So, Emma King CEO with the Victorian Council of Social Service welcome and
here we are at your headquarters at Exhibition Street just up the road from RMIT.
So what has changed the most in your industry in recent times?
The community sector is a booming industry so we've seen rapid growth particularly
in the areas of disability, aged care, childcare and family violence so there's
a real need for us to make sure that we have a really highly capable skilled
workforce, working across each of these areas in a way that really we haven't
seen before it's unparalleled.
Okay, and why did you choose this field?
For me, I love this field I think it has such a strong values and a strong ethics base
it's about people and I think that's one of the most special things about it it's
not a field that can be replace with robots it's about making sure that all
members of our community can have a good life and that's really exciting so I
can't see why you wouldn't want to choose this field and a lot of change
but what do you hope would be one really big change that we're going to see in
the next few years for the sector?
Look, I think some of the key things we need to
see in our sector to make them better places to be is actually to have the
workforce up in skill that we need so that when we have clients with genuine
choice and control, that they actually have choice and control.
I think we're at a really pivotal space in the NDIS and the disability space where we really
need to make sure that the outcomes that are there for people are the best
possible outcomes and again the NDIS is based around an ordinary life I just
think we can do a bit better than that I'm pretty interested in a good life and
a great life.
And if you were graduating into the industry right now what would
be the advice you'd give to yourself?
Well I would know that I'm heading into
an industry where there is a job for life and that's one of the fantastic
things about this area because it's growing so much faster than any other
area in what in workforce overall so the advice I'd give to myself is this is a
job for life. Continue to continue to learn continue to grow the capacity I
think to gain micro credentials along the way to work across different
workforces is huge and the value that you get in terms of working alongside
people is really strong. So get a great job enjoy working with people and
remembering that this is a job for life there's
a chance for lifelong learning here and a chance for a job for the
future, so and obviously surround yourself with great alumni, great staff
who are actually going to be with you through your journey throughout
throughout the whole of your career.
But now a bit of a personal question.
If you didn't have to sleep what would you do with your extra time?
Oh I think I'd exercise. I would definitely focus on I definitely focus on more time to
exercise, eating well and more time with my family as well in terms of looking at
the other parties outlook I love my job I'm very fortunate to work somewhere where
it's a very strong personal connection for me in terms of having a strong
values base a strong ethics base, it seems to me in terms of sitting with me
for a very personal point of view as well but I'd always love more time with
my kids and time to to be well and make
sure I actually go for that swim in the morning and the things that I always
want to do but I don't always quite manage to do it.
And now one last personal question, what's been one thing you've learned in your career that has
been most helpful to you?
I reckon that you get the best results
when you surround yourself with good people you can work collaboratively
because the reality is my biggest lesson although I know that I most certainly
don't have every skill set going around I have a particular skill set and as a
CEO I want to surround myself with people who have got the other skills
that I don't have and who were also going to be really frank in giving me
really good robust advice so that we achieve the best we possibly can as an
organization so I want to have very good strong people around me so that we can
achieve great things.
Okay thank you very much Emma King CEO of VCOSS.
Thanks David.