Post by corsair67 on Dec 15, 2006 9:47:03 GMT 12
Bonuses in $1bn defence strategy
Patrick Walters, National security editor
December 15, 2006.
MILITARY recruitment procedures will be drastically streamlined and retention bonuses to select skilled personnel increased under a $1 billion package to be unveiled today.
Up to 1000 young people aged between 18-24 will be offered the chance to join the defence force during their post-school gap year from 2008 as part of the changes, which aim to lift the size of the permanent defence force by 12 per cent to 57,000.
The package, to be announced by John Howard, is a temporary setback for Defence Minister Brendan Nelson who, as The Australian reported on August 15 this year, was advocating a far more ambitious multi-billion-dollar long-term revamp of recruitment and retention practices.
Cabinet's national security committee last week signed off on the 10-year plan to increase the size of the army, navy and air force after spending ministers challenged the need for some of Dr Nelson's plans.
The package will include more generous retention bonuses for skilled personnel defence wants to retain such as electrical and systems engineers and specialised instructors.
All three services have struggled to meet their recruitment targets in recent years in a much tighter labour market and a national shortage of skilled workers.
The regular army will be boosted by almost 5000 to 30,000 with the creation of two extra battalions.
The overall size of the navy and RAAF will also be increased by close to 10 per cent with the RAN's strength climbing to around 13,500 from 12,800.
The Prime Minister is due to announce the defence force recruitment and retention package at Sydney's Victoria Barracks today in the company of defence chiefs.
The initiatives are part of a 10-year plan aimed at making defence a more attractive option for school leavers and graduates as well as retaining skilled personnel in the defence force.
They include a streamlining of the existing recruitment process, cutting from 30 weeks to six weeks the average time it takes from application to enlistment for general entry recruits.
The aim is to bring recruiting procedures more into line with existing practices in the civilian workforce.
For prospective defence force reservists the timeline to process applications will be even shorter, reducing from an average of 30 weeks to two weeks.
The gap-year scheme, already flagged by Dr Nelson, will cost about $300 million.
Dr Nelson said recently the offer would mean school leavers could join one of the three services for basic training and participation in a range of limited, defence-related activities.
"It'll give these young Australians the opportunity to try before they buy, wear the Australian military uniform and all that that entails, in terms of us being proud of them and giving them the defence experience," he said. Dr Nelson says the plan will also provide incentives for young people to join the permanent defence force at the end of their gap year.
Defence's recruitment advertising will be overhauled with new campaigns and shopfronts revamped with a sharp cut in paperwork required of interested applicants.
The defence force recruited around 4700 men and women last year and the new annual intake target will be set at 6500, an increase of 1800.
An expanded retention bonus scheme will see service chiefs given the flexibility to offer individual bonuses to people they really want to retain.
Defence has set a target of reducing existing separation rates from an average 11 per cent per annum to 10 per cent.
