“ARPS Task Group on Recruitment of New Professionals into Radiation Protection”

Overview

The recruitment of graduates and professionals into the field of radiation protection and the retention of experienced practitioners in Australia is currently proving to be difficult.

The demand for practitioners is expected to increase in coming years with a number of government projects and industry projects coming online.

ARPS is the national body representing radiation protection practitioners and is therefore well place to consider current and previous practices and provide practical advice and guidance to government and private industry to address the situation. To achieve this, ARPS is establishing a multidisciplinary task group aimed at developing a set of recommendations for consideration by the ARPS Executive.

The task group will provide, as a minimum, recommendation to the ARPS Executive by end of 2022, with status updates during the July 2022 and October 2022 executive meetings.

The task group will bring together ARPS member from a number of organisations including defence, health sector, metalliferous and energy industries, education, and regulatory agencies with the following aims:

• ·         Estimate the possible government and industry projects which may come online, and projected practitioner numbers required over the next 3, 5 and 10 years
• ·         To identify opportunities for different groups to work together
• ·         To determine possible strategies to attract new professionals
• ·         To determine possible strategies to retain experienced professionals
• ·         To provide advice on mentoring, in-service education, and succession planning
• ·         To provide a set of recommendations and present to the ARPS executive.

The work of the Task Group will primarily be via videoconferencing, internet, email and telephone

Workgroup Formation

ARPS has invited Mark Sonter to chair the workgroup, based on his extensive multi-disciplined experience. It is intended that the workgroup will have no more than 10 members serving in personal (not sectoral representative) capacities.  The workgroup may, from time to time, wish to bring in certain expertise, whether internal or external to ARPS, to assist with specific discussions.

ARPS members are invited to apply to be part of the task group, with members working in a pro-bono capacity, however certain out-of-pocket expenses will be considered for approval by the ARPS executive.

If you would like to contribute and participate, please submit your expression of interest to the ARPS secretariat at secretariat@arps.org.au by Thursday 14^th April. All applicants will receive a reply by end of April.

Secretariat

ARPS will provide the secretariat to assist the workgroup in meeting its objectives.  The secretariat will assist in arranging the meetings, taking minutes and maintaining the business arising/action list.  Any further assistance will need to be considered by the ARPS executive.