HOW CUSP STRENGTHENED GOVERNMENT WORKFORCE CAPABILITY

HOW CUSP STRENGTHENED GOVERNMENT WORKFORCE CAPABILITY

FEDERAL GOVERNMENT

Leaders IT’s Capacity Uplift Solutions Program (CUSP) helped build a sustainable pipeline of Government-ready IT talent by identifying, developing and mentoring early-career and career-transition professionals, improving workforce stability, capability uplift and long-term service continuity within secure government environments.

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12-MONTH STRUCTURED
DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM


BUILD CAPABILITY.
CREATE OPPORTUNITY. ADDRESS SKILLS SHORTAGES.

Our CUSP Program is a structured 12-month workforce development program designed to help organisations build sustainable technology capability while creating pathways for emerging and non-traditional talent pools.


The program identifies, hires and develops individuals including recent graduates, career changers and professionals returning to the workforce, providing them with tailored technical and professional development while they gain valuable on-the-job experience within client organisations.

BACKGROUND

A managed services provider supporting the Federal Government required a sustainable workforce solution to strengthen service continuity, improve retention, and build long-term capability across government-aligned teams. Traditional contingent labour models were not meeting the need for workforce stability, security-cleared talent, and ongoing skills development. Leaders IT introduced the Capacity Uplift Solutions Program (CUSP) to create a structured pathway for identifying, developing, and deploying high-potential consultants into government environments.

APPROACH

Leaders IT designed and delivered a government-focused CUSP cohort tailored to the client's workforce requirements. This included collaborative role design aligned to SFIA capability frameworks, rigorous candidate assessment and psychometric profiling, and the selection of early-career and career-transition professionals with strong aptitude and cultural fit. Consultants were placed into government-aligned teams and supported through structured mentoring, professional development workshops, performance coaching, and on-the-job learning, ensuring capability growth aligned to government delivery expectations and security requirements.

OUTCOME

The program successfully delivered government-ready consultants into secure environments, creating a sustainable pipeline of capable talent while reducing reliance on traditional hiring cycles. Through ongoing mentoring and development, participants rapidly built role-specific capabilities, contributing to improved workforce stability, stronger retention outcomes, and enhanced collaboration between the client, Leaders IT, and government stakeholders. The result was a repeatable, scalable model for building long-term, security-cleared talent capability within one of Australia's most complex operating environments.

WHAT WE DELIVERED:


  • A Government-focused talent pipeline of high-potential early-career and career-transition IT professionals.
  • A structured capability development through SFIA-aligned assessment, mentoring, coaching and professional development.
  • Established a sustainable workforce model that improved retention, accelerated productivity and strengthened long term government capability.

WHO WE ARE:

Leaders IT, is a practice-led IT and digital consultancy committed to delivering program, project and change management services to clients.


Our consultants specialise in agile and other project delivery and governance methods, using best practices to manage and deliver a program or project. With a strong commitment to driving improvement, we focus on design, and putting in place governance processes for large digital transformation and ICT programs; finding drivers and barriers for organisational change, design and delivery of change programs. This includes assessing business readiness, design and putting in place target operating models, where our team delivers exceptional results.

Mentoring Programs | Leaders IT
By Aniela R July 26, 2026
Melbourne, Australia – July 2026 – As organisations continue to navigate increasingly complex technology environments, Leaders IT has unveiled two structured mentoring and coaching initiatives designed to help technology professionals accelerate performance, strengthen engagement and deliver greater business impact from day one. The Launch and Elevate Programs provide tailored support for consultants at different stages of their careers, helping organisations maximise the value of their talent investments. The programs have been developed in response to a growing challenge faced by employers across the technology sector: hiring great talent is only the beginning. New hires often need support to navigate organisational culture, build stakeholder relationships, establish credibility and quickly convert technical expertise into meaningful outcomes. Leaders IT's structured approach aims to reduce those risks while accelerating productivity and performance. LAUNCH: SUPPORTING SUCCESS IN THE FIRST 90 DAYS The Launch Program is a 90-day mentoring initiative designed for consultants stepping into a new client environment. Through six fortnightly mentoring sessions, participants receive guidance on self-awareness, stakeholder engagement, visibility, credibility and achieving early momentum in their role. The program follows a structured pathway across three phases: Orient, Establish and Expand. This helps participants build confidence and traction throughout their first three months. Participants also complete a strengths assessment, gain access to practical frameworks for achieving early wins and receive support to navigate workplace dynamics and stakeholder relationships. Sessions are aligned to individual 30-60-90 day goals, ensuring development remains closely connected to business outcomes and role expectations. For hiring managers, the program provides additional visibility into progress through structured check-ins and reporting without requiring them to manage the coaching process directly. The result is a more deliberate onboarding experience that helps consultants become productive faster while reducing the risk of early attrition. ELEVATE: COACHING SENIOR TALENT FOR GREATER INFLUENCE While Launch focuses on successful onboarding, the Elevate Program has been developed for senior consultants who need to quickly establish influence, navigate organisational complexity and deliver strategic impact. The 12-week coaching program provides six one-on-one coaching sessions tailored to the unique challenges faced by experienced technology professionals. The coaching framework focuses on understanding organisational landscapes, building influence, strengthening visibility and positioning expertise to drive broader business outcomes. Rather than concentrating on technical capability, Elevate helps experienced professionals sharpen how their expertise is perceived and leveraged within a new environment. As outlined by Leaders IT’s Principal, Talent Development, Karen Shamieh, even highly experienced consultants face a period of adjustment when joining a new organisation. “Senior ICs don’t struggle with the technical work. They struggle with the first 90 days of figuring out how to have real impact in a new organisation. Elevate is built for exactly that.”– Karen Shamieh Elevate is designed to accelerate that transition, helping senior talent become trusted advisors who shape outcomes, strengthen stakeholder relationships and contribute strategically from the outset. A STRUCTURED APPROACH TO TALENT PERFORMANCE The Launch and Elevate Programs were conceived by Tim Brewin , whose vision was to create a more purposeful and structured approach to consultant development. Recognising that successful placements require ongoing support beyond recruitment, Brewin championed the creation of programs that help professionals build confidence, strengthen stakeholder relationships, accelerate performance and maximise their impact within client organisations. Both programs are underpinned by a managed coaching model that includes assessment, alignment with role expectations, regular mentoring sessions and progress reviews. Leaders IT manages the coaching cadence while allowing hiring managers to remain focused on operational priorities and business outcomes. STRENGTHENING WORKFORCE OUTCOMES Leaders IT positions Launch and Elevate as part of a broader commitment to helping organisations build, onboard and develop technology talent more effectively. By combining structured mentoring, behavioural insights and performance-focused coaching, the programs aim to help consultants ramp up faster, strengthen engagement and create more sustainable workforce outcomes. By supporting professionals during critical transition periods, Leaders IT is helping clients turn new hires into high-performing contributors, and experienced consultants into influential leaders. TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE PROGRAMS VISIT: Mentoring Program | Leaders IT
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