From our Chief Operating Officer

It was clear to me from the outset that this organisation really lives by its values and cares for its people, and this is repaid by a dedicated and engaged team of staff and SME’s.  Our inclusive approach with all who operate within our sphere of operations is remarkable and refreshing.

Our highest priority has been to continue to keep our candidates, stakeholders and staff safe during the COVID-19 pandemic through to the nation’s transition to ‘Covid-normal’ conditions.  We have continued to support and guide our people and stakeholders through this time.

In July 2021, Pharmacy was included on the Priority Migration Skilled Occupation List (PMSOL).  This has increased demand on APC services to assess potential overseas trained candidates. To meet these ongoing demands, APC embarked on an ambitious change to our operations, expanding the role of Corporate Services to include a broader remit.  This created the role of the Chief Operating Officer.

We made the commitment to establish a dedicated Candidate Relationship Team to focus on candidates through their entire journey with APC and support them through the many challenges often faced navigating an assessment process.  This also allows our Assessments and Examinations teams to focus on their core roles that underpin our services.  We have many ambitious plans to support our candidates, and the next few years will be critical in embedding our new service delivery approach and supporting candidates where possible including increased access to support materials and guidance.

We were also invited to participate in the Commonwealth Government skilled migration incentives programs to support overseas trained pharmacists to work in Australia.  As part of Pilot 1, APC processed 140 applications through the Faster Migrant Skills Assessment process.  Our work with Pilot 2, that includes free assessments for eligible candidates, is ongoing.

APC has weathered the stormy waters of the pandemic surprisingly well.  At the start of the pandemic, there were some vital decisions made that allowed the business to continue to operate, albeit at a modified level.  Demand did dip sharply but recovered somewhat last financial year, and coupled with the substantial restrictions on our operations, expenditure was dampened – in particular costs associated with in-person interactions.

Our annual financial result was positive and will provide a great basis for our investment in more effective operations and delivering an increased support for our candidates.

I was also fortunate to support APC through its final steps to implement our Reflect Reconciliation Action Plan in November and support our implementation committee in continuing to deliver against our stated objectives.

The pandemic has been highly disruptive, but from this chaos we learned news ways of working.  Remote / hybrid work is now a standard part of our workplaces and to accommodate this over the long term, we introduced a new flexible working policy for our staff to obtain the benefits of a hybrid working environment. This process involved consultation and careful planning to find the right balance.

Our focus on wellbeing included a renewed Employee Assistance Program with our provider and provided all staff with a wellbeing allowance to support them through these difficult times.  Connection is an ongoing focus, and with the support of technology and now the ability to gather again in person, the culture and connection of APC is stronger than ever.

There is no greater test of our IT backbone than operating in remote conditions through the ongoing pandemic. With many more of our operations continuing online and virtual, and our people required to work from home at various times throughout the year, our secure cloud-based environment has proven to be a strong and effective platform. The foresight of my predecessor to implement this change has been an essential component to our business continuity.