Making the public sector work better for women is the sector-wide women’s employment and development strategy to improve women’s recruitment, development and retention.

A key focus of the strategy is to achieve an increase in women’s representation in non-traditional occupations across the sector from 16% to 20% by 2012.

Work in the public sector is highly segmented by gender with the majority of women concentrated in traditionally female occupations like teaching, nursing and administration. Encouraging women to consider careers in non-traditional occupations facilitates diversity and provides women with the opportunity to access positions that are typically occupied by men.

To assist agencies a revised list of non-traditional occupations based on Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO) has been published as a guide and is available online at www.eeo.nsw.gov.au/women.

Non-traditional occupations are defined as those where women make up less than 25% of the workforce or which have been traditionally male dominated.

This list supersedes the list of non-traditional occupations previously listed in the Making the public sector work better for women.

Agencies are encouraged to continue to promote recruitment and retention of women in these non-traditional occupations.

Brendan O’Reilly
Director General