2,500 Census Area Supervisors needed across Australia (Media Release)

	MEDIA RELEASE	CO/83
1 February 2016	Embargo: 11.30 am (Canberra time)

Are you a good communicator, care about your community, and have strong project and people skills? If you answered yes, the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) is keen to hear from you.

2,500 Area Supervisors are needed for the 2016 Census of Population and Housing on 9 August 2016 to manage Census operations across Australia, from capital cities and towns, rural and regional areas, to the outback, and remote locations such as the Torres Strait.

Head of the 2016 Census Program, Duncan Young said that Area Supervisors will play a key role, earning close to $35 per hour and working flexible hours for up to five months.

“Every five years the Census provides an important statistical snapshot of our nation,” Mr Young said.

“We can’t collect information from close to 10 million dwellings and approximately 24 million people in Australia without the help of the large workforce we recruit each Census.”,

Charles Passi is typical of the passionate Area Supervisors who participated in the 2011 Census.

“What I really liked about being involved in was seeing people as they really are in their communities, getting involved and showing that we care about our communities”, Mr Passi said.

Fellow 2011 Census Area Supervisor Fraser Nye agrees.

“To me the Census is about the humans behind the number. We are valuable and important and it’s about us telling our story,” Mr Nye said.

The roles and responsibilities of field staff will reflect the 2016 Census digital-first approach, with 65 per cent of Australian households expected to complete the Census online.

“Area Supervisors will need to be tech-savvy and have a home based computer to access online training and manage team workloads.

“Each Area Supervisor will recruit, train, lead and supervise a team of up to 12 Field Officers who will visit homes to support people completing the Census. They will also quality check delivery and collection activities, protect data security, and ensure the health and safety of their teams,” Mr Young said.

Applicants must be Australian citizens or have the legal right to work in Australia, and hold a valid driver’s licence. Applications close on 21 February 2016. To view the applicant information kits and to apply online, visit abs.gov.au/careers

Background information on the 2016 Census of Population and Housing
Data collected from the 2016 Census will support funding decisions for services and infrastructure including housing, transport, education, industry, hospitals, and the environment.

The Census will also track Australia’s changing social and economic landscape. Data from the 2011 Census revealed that 21.5 million people lived in Australia and the median age was 37. It also showed that Western Australia experienced the biggest proportionate increase in its population at 14.3 per cent, whilst Queensland had the biggest increase in number terms with an additional 428,209 people.

For further information on the 2016 Census, visit census.abs.gov.au

Key Census dates:

21 February 2016	Area Supervisor applications close
2 May 2016	Field Officer recruitment begins
Late July to early August 2016	Instruction letters and forms will be delivered
9 August 2016	Census night
Mid-August to late September 2016	Field visits
First half of 2017	The first results from the 2016 Census released

Media contact:
National Media Manager: (P) 1300 175 070 (E) media@abs.gov.au

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