2903.0.55.002 - How Australia Takes a Census, 2006  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 13/02/2006  First Issue
   Page tools: Print Print Page Print all pages in this productPrint All

MEDIA RELEASE

February 13, 2006
Embargoed 11:30am (AEST)
C5/2006

Census recruitment launched: 30,000 jobs to be filled

A national recruitment drive to employ about 30,000 people across Australia was launched at Parliament House today.

Workers are needed to help deliver and collect Census forms for the Census of Population and Housing on 8 August.

The Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasurer, Chris Pearce, who launched the recruitment drive, said that the Census was of great value to communities across the nation. He said Census information helped community organisations and governments plan where best to direct their services and was also used to help decide where such things as where community services will be located.

Census recruitment will be done in two stages over the next few months. The Australian Bureau of Statistics is now concentrating on the recruitment of Area Supervisors. About 3,500 Area Supervisors will be employed nation wide.

Area Supervisors are responsible for the recruitment, training and management of the Census Collectors in their area. In April they will recruit about 26,000 Collectors nation-wide. The Collectors will deal directly with the public, moving from door to door and delivering and collecting Census forms.

Australian Statistician Dennis Trewin said that past Area Supervisors had included retired managers, former and serving school teachers, community workers, people working part time and parents at home with children.

One guest at the launch was Ruth McFadden. Ruth has worked on seven Censuses as a Collector and Area Supervisor. She first worked as a Collector in 1971. Mr Trewin praised her community spirit.

Media personality Adam Spencer was the featured speaker at the launch. He said that the Census was of vital importance to the nation.

To apply for employment go to www.abs.gov.au/recruitment or call 1300 236 787.