Supporting our reservists – Australian Defence Force Employer Familiarisation Activity

QCS is proud to recognise, support and employ men and women who have served in the armed services and reserves.

For Alexis Livingstone, Deputy General Manager (DGM), Capricornia Correctional Centre, the invitation to spend a day as an army reservist was one she couldn’t turn down.

Under the Australian Defence Force (ADF) Employer Familiarisation Activity, managers and senior leaders were invited to attend a day with their staff who are members of the army reserves and experience first-hand what it’s really like on the other side.

It was also an opportunity for the ADF personnel to thank employers for the valuable role they play in supporting their staff as reservists.

DGM Livingstone spent the day with 50-60 army reservists, including seven of her own officers, at Shoalwater Bay – one of the largest military training reserves in Queensland.

“QCS is proud to employ reservists and the training they undertake and the challenges they face equip them with highly transferrable skills which are extremely valuable for their roles within QCS,” DGM Livingstone said.

“Supporting the valuable work of our armed services is something that’s close to my heart. My husband is an ex-army reservist and my father was in the British Armed Forces. I really valued the opportunity to witness first-hand some of the challenges of being a reservist which our officers face.”

The day started with an extensive briefing at the barracks in Rockhampton, followed by a morning of training exercises in weaponry, including live-firing, and a lesson in ration packs designed to last a soldier 24 hours.

“The training is undertaken to fulfill the reservist’s annual qualifications for particular exercises and it was an honour to be there in uniform representing QCS,” she said.

Commissioner Martin said the partnership QCS shares with the Australian Defence Force is an important one.

“As an organisation, we are very supportive of our officers being part of the reserves given many of the qualities, attributes, values and work ethic of a reservist mirror the valuable skills of what is expected as an officer within QCS,” Commissioner Martin said.

“Our recruitment process for custodial correctional officers is ongoing and we welcome the opportunity to employ more reservists.”

Leadership, communications skills and teamwork are just some of the skills that defence personnel bring to our workplace, and they are highly valued when managing some of the most difficult and complex people in society.