Building a Future-Ready APS: Skills, AI and the Changing Workforce

AI is changing government work. Preparing people for that change is a different challenge.

As technology takes on more routine tasks and reshapes established workflows, agencies need to look beyond the tools they adopt. They also need to consider the skills their people will need, how roles should evolve and what support will help employees work confidently alongside AI.

The question is not simply what government can automate. It is how the Australian Public Service can build the capability to turn technological change into better work and better outcomes.

That is the focus of “Executive Panel: Building Capability for a Changing Workforce: Skills, AI and the Future of Work” at Government Innovation Showcase Federal 2026, taking place on Thursday, 22 October at the National Convention Centre Canberra.

Building capability beyond the technology

An AI-enabled workforce needs more than access to new systems.

People need to understand where AI can help, recognise its limitations and exercise judgement over the work it supports. Leaders need to connect those capabilities to the tasks their teams perform, rather than treating AI adoption and workforce development as separate initiatives.

The panel will explore the most critical skills priorities for an AI-enabled public sector and the broader economy, bringing workforce capability into the centre of the transformation conversation.

For agencies, this raises a practical question: how can learning and development prepare employees for changing work, rather than simply familiarise them with another tool?

Building confidence matters alongside building skills. Employees need clarity about what is changing, what is expected of them and where their expertise remains essential.

Rethinking workforce pathways through 2030

Recruitment alone is not a complete response to emerging capability needs.

As roles evolve, agencies also need to consider how existing employees can develop new skills, move into different opportunities and apply their experience in new ways.

The discussion will examine workforce pathways, recruitment and reskilling approaches for 2026–2030. It will explore how agencies can respond to future capability demands while continuing to attract, develop and retain talent.

This is not just about identifying the next skills shortage. It is about connecting workforce planning with the changes already taking place in everyday work.

Which capabilities can be developed internally? Where are new pathways needed? And how can agencies make ongoing learning a practical part of working life?

Those questions will matter well beyond the introduction of any individual AI system.

Redesigning tasks without losing human expertise

AI adoption also requires a closer look at how work is organised.

A role is rarely a single activity. It combines tasks, decisions, relationships and responsibilities. Introducing AI into one part of that role can change what happens elsewhere, including the work required to check outputs and maintain quality.

The panel will examine how technology is reshaping roles, task design and ways of working across government, including the balance between human expertise and machine-enabled tasks.

That balance is central to meaningful productivity improvement. Automating a task is not the same as improving an entire workflow, and time saved only becomes valuable when teams can use it effectively.

For leaders, the opportunity is to think deliberately about where AI can augment work and where human judgement, context and accountability must remain central.

A shared challenge across government

Capability gaps do not stop at agency boundaries.

The panel will also explore how stronger cross-agency collaboration can help address skills shortages and improve talent attraction and retention.

Sharing approaches to workforce development can help agencies learn from one another rather than tackle similar challenges in isolation. It also creates an opportunity to consider where more connected workforce pathways and capability-building efforts could support the APS as a whole.

The aim is not simply to prepare individual teams for new technology. It is to strengthen the public service’s ability to adapt as the work continues to change.

Hear from leaders shaping the workforce conversation

The executive panel brings together perspectives from workforce planning, people leadership, public service capability, digital health and industry:

• Simon Booth, Executive Director, Jobs and Skills Australia
• Catherine McLachlan, Chief People Officer, Department of Finance
• Jo Talbot, First Assistant Commissioner, Workforce, Tribunals and Inclusion, Australian Public Service Commission
• Shannan Quain, Chief People Officer, Australian Digital Health Agency
• Abitha Maniyan, VP | Public Sector A/NZ, HCLTech

The session runs from 3:20–3:50 pm in the Royal Theatre, connecting the longer-term future of work with the workforce decisions agencies need to consider now.

Be part of a future-ready APS

Workforce capability is part of a wider conversation at Government Innovation Showcase Federal 2026 about building a smarter, more productive and connected public service.

The Showcase will bring together Australian Government leaders to explore responsible AI adoption, digital transformation, service delivery and productivity through keynotes, panels and practical discussions.

For HR, workforce, learning and development, transformation and operational leaders, it is an opportunity to hear how peers are approaching shared challenges and consider what those approaches could mean for their own agencies.

AI may be reshaping the work, but people will determine whether that transformation delivers lasting value.

Join your peers at Government Innovation Showcase Federal 2026 on Thursday, 22 October at the National Convention Centre Canberra. Explore the event and secure your place.