Volunteer Leadership Project
Project Timeline
August 2025 – June 2026
Project Overview
Project Scope and Activities
The Volunteer Leadership Project focuses on enhancing non-operational leadership across Australia’s volunteer emergency services, including Volunteer Fire Brigades, State Emergency Services (SES), and Marine Rescue organisations.
Key activities include:
- Conducting a desktop environmental scan of existing leadership training models
- Engaging stakeholders through structured consultation processes
- Analysing data to identify common themes and capability gaps
Insights from these activities will inform the future development or revision of training products within the PUA Public Safety Training Package, helping to build a more consistent and effective leadership framework for volunteer emergency services nationwide.
Project Updates
Aug 2025 - May 2026Agency Consultation Activities
Consultation is closed
The Volunteer Leadership Project was established to support the Fire and Emergency Services industry-sector identify the capability requirements of non-operational leaders within agencies. The findings of the project will be used to inform changes to the PUA Public Safety Training Package to support these roles.
During the initial project phase, Public Skills Australia established a Volunteer Leadership Working Group comprising members from each state and territory and across fire, State and Territory Emergency Service and Surf Life Saving agencies.
Desktop Environment Scan
Sept 2025 - Oct 2025A scan of the environment through desktop research.
Consultation
Oct 2025 - Apr 2026Consultation sessions
A range of online meetings were held between 4 February and 15 February 2026 to gather feedback.
Agency Consultation Activities
We conducted face-to-face consultations for the Volunteer Leadership Project with stakeholders across Australia, which included Fire and Emergency services, Surf Life Saving, Marine Rescue and SES.
The sessions were held across Western Australia (DFES Forrestfield), Queensland (SES Headquarters Nundah) and South Australia (SES Headquarters Keswick). The sessions focused on non-operational volunteer leadership, job role capabilities and knowledge to show our stakeholders how we are unlocking the potential of vocational education and training across Australia.
The consultations were a great opportunity for stakeholders and working groups to share their expertise and make contributions to the project. With working groups having representation around the country, covering every jurisdiction.
The findings align with two Ministerial priorities: qualifications reform and the federal government’s productivity agenda, with a focus on building a skilled, adaptable and inclusive volunteer workforce.
The Ministerial priorities have informed the development of the report, which include updates to training products embed Qualification Reform principles, undertaking activity that supports building a skilled, adaptable and inclusive workforce, and identify opportunities to strengthen capabilities of the public safety and government workforces in preparing for and responding to emergency events, including identification of emerging or revised skill requirements.
Stakeholder Insights and Stakeholder Training Reports Submitted
Apr 2026 - Jun 2026Training Needs Report delivered based on consultation, feedback and analysis.
Project Timeline