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2 Introduction Learning and development (L&D) is the process through which employees are encouraged and supported to acquire new or advanced skills and knowledge by participating in education and training on a regular basis through informal and formal opportunities. A recent study1 showed that 93% of employees would stay longer at an organisation if it invested in their career, demonstrating that L&D opportunities are critical to attract, retain and develop talent with the right skills and abilities to be capable of dealing with changing environments and responsibilities. HomeStart is committed to developing a culture of achievement that inspires and supports employees to pursue learning through diverse formats, methods, and streams. The organisation endorses ongoing L&D in support of achieving the 2021- 2024 Strategic Plan, in particular the initiative “Invest in Our People,” as this is the underlying driver to successfully achieve all objectives of the Strategic Plan. Commitment to this initiative is demonstrated by dedication of 3-4% of annual salary budget pledged to learning and development initiatives. L&D is a shared responsibility between the employee and HomeStart. There is mutual obligation: • on the part of the employee to take charge of their professional development and training and; • on the part of the organisation to offer an environment that is conducive to learning. The objective of the 2022 HomeStart Finance (HomeStart) L&D Strategy is to pair with the Achievement Framework to ensure that a highly capable and future-ready workforce is continuously learning and adapting to deliver positive outcomes for our customers. The L&D Strategy (L&DS) and Achievement Framework (L&DAF) has been developed with consideration to industry best practices and takes an evidence-based approach to L&D initiatives, ensuring a robust and detailed framework to guide the organisation and allows flexibility to adapt to changing trends, policy/process change mandates, and environmental needs. 1 https://learning.linkedin.com/content/dam/me/learning/en-us/pdfs/linkedin-learning-workplace-learning-report-2018.pdf

3 Contents Introduction.................................................................................................................................2 Part 1: Learning and Development Strategy .............................................................................4 Purpose........................................................................................................................................5 Scope...........................................................................................................................................5 Guiding Principles .......................................................................................................................6 Roles and Responsibilities...........................................................................................................7 Employee Learning Life Cycle.................................................................................................10 Learning and Development Approach..................................................................................14 ADDIE Training Development Model.......................................................................................15 Project Training Program Approach........................................................................................16 Analysis of Training Needs........................................................................................................17 Training Design ..........................................................................................................................17 Loan Process Training Design ...............................................................................................18 Learning Activity Structure .......................................................................................................19 Training Development..............................................................................................................20 Implementation of Training......................................................................................................20 Evaluation of Training ...............................................................................................................20 The Learning and Development Achievement Framework..................................................21 Part 2: Appendices.......................................................................................................................22 Appendix 1 – Learning Methodologies...................................................................................23 Appendix 2 - Related Documents...........................................................................................24 Appendix 3 - The Employee Lifecycle.....................................................................................25 Appendix 4 - The 5 Key Areas to People Development........................................................26 Appendix 5 - Loan Process Training Structure.........................................................................28

4 Part 1: Learning and Development Strategy

5 Purpose “Having the right people, in the right place, with the right capabilities at the right time” - underpinning statement of the 2021 – 2024 HomeStart Finance Strategic Workforce Plan (WP). The HomeStart Learning and Development Strategy (L&DS) supports the 2021 – 2024 Strategic Workforce Plan and organisational Strategic Plan and will provide a clear vision on how to meet organisational goals through linking L&D activities systematically with business needs. The activities will relate to the key initiative “Invest in our people” and reinforces Executive commitment to this initiative. The core objectives of the Strategy and L&DAF are to: • Provide guidance that will ensure an integrated and standardised approach to L&D • Outline the roles and responsibilities of Executive, People Leaders, and employees in the L&D context • Provide foundational pathways to develop critical organisational skillsets and promote opportunities for extended personal and professional growth • Provide contemporary, innovative, and evidence-based solutions for L&D that are linked to the strategic direction of HomeStart • Meet employee learning and development needs and • Meet the 5 Key Areas of People Development (Appendix 4). The L&DS is a forward-looking document, that sets out how L&D will support the achievement of HomeStart’s strategic objectives and contribute to building competency and capability over the coming years. Scope The L&DS applies to the entire organisation, including full-time, part-time, casual, and temporary/fixed-term employees.

6 Guiding Principles A foundation of principles to guide L&D activity towards strategic objectives is critical to achieving learning outcomes. The following principles govern all decision making relating to L&D activity at HomeStart. Principle 1: L&D is a strategic priority and opportunities will align with the needs of the organisation L&D initiatives will be directed by key initiatives of the 2021-2024 Strategic Plan and the associated business objectives. In addition, it will be based on the needs identified following a training needs analysis ensuring there is added value to both the individual/s and the organisation. Principle 2: L&D activity promotes a culture of achievement, ownership and encourages knowledge sharing A collaborative approach to the implementation of L&D initiatives will ensure that HomeStart continues to build an environment that values individual, team and organisational achievement. Opportunities and initiatives are approached collaboratively, with individuals recognising the value of their contribution, and taking ownership of the role they play in HomeStart achieving L&D outcomes. Principle 3: All employees will have access to appropriate opportunities to support their professional development In line with the strategic objective “Invest in our people” L&D opportunities will take into consideration the varying needs of individuals at HomeStart and recognise that each learning pathway is unique. The adoption of a best practice approach to the training cycle, combined with capitalisation of available learning technologies will ensure opportunities, accommodate for the different ways in which people learn and ensure that both the ‘desired’ and ‘required’ needs are met wherever possible. Principle 4: L&D will take a holistic and innovative approach to initiatives, utilising technology and best practice methodology and continuously evolving to provide relevant, contemporary, and valued opportunities HomeStart’s approach to L&D will continue to evolve, adapt, and grow in tandem with the organisation. Each L&D opportunity will be explored with curiosity and creativity, ensuring that we take the approach that will achieve the best results each time. Our initiatives will empower our people with the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to be the best version of themselves professionally and personally, and in turn will provide innovative and appealing opportunities to our customers. Delivered initiatives will be routinely evaluated to ensure lessons learnt can contribute to improvement of future learning opportunities.

7 Roles and Responsibilities All employees are responsible to promote and support a culture of continuous improvement within their own role, and to contribute to the growth and development of their peers. The role an individual or collective differs depending on their operational role, and a network of knowledge and experience is critical to the implementation of L&D initiatives. The specific responsibilities relating to L&D are outlined as follows: Executive • Review, analyse and endorse proposed L&D opportunities that will support the achievement of key objectives aligned to the Workforce Plan and Strategic Plan • Identify which corporate training is mandatory and which is optional • Enable access to resources required to meet the L&D needs of the organisation • Champion the importance of key learning priorities, such as leadership development training across the organisation • Hold People Leaders accountable for the development and management of L&D plans (myPlan) for their employees that empower and guide employees to achieve desired outcomes as part of the performance management process People and Culture Team (incl. L&D Function) • Implement and maintain a ‘best practice’ approach to L&D, include consideration of the continuous improvement model • Forecast L&D requirements of the organisation, and develop plans to address these needs in a timely and effective way • Guide and support the organisation to identify and implement L&D opportunities to meet strategic outcomes for business activities and projects • Work with People Leaders to connect employees with solutions to meet L&D objectives that are aligned with the needs of the organisation and prepare employees for future roles and opportunities • Create accessible L&D opportunities that are tailored to employees’ individual needs • Promote a continuous learning and development culture

8 People Leaders • Contribute to the induction and onboarding of new team members, ensuring sufficient support and opportunities are provided for their development • Discuss L&D needs with their team, and create L&D plans that support employee growth objectives, strategic initiatives and promotes development of high-performing and engaged people that can deliver strong results as part of the performance management process • Integrate learning and work by ensuring that workplace solutions, e.g. on-the job training and self-managed learning, are fully exploited as a first attempt at addressing needs • Hold employees accountable for contributing to quality learning and development outcomes of themselves and peers • Identify and communicate areas of opportunities for growth and improvement and supports a culture of continuous learning within their team, and proactively seek support to explore and address these • Actively develop their mentoring and training skillset to improve their own capability of developing their team • Delegate and involve the team in meetings and work tasks and activities where appropriate, to provide opportunities for growth and development • Contribute to building a strong and positive L&D culture through participation in stakeholder engagement and feedback sessions relating to the Framework Subject Matter Experts • Identify and communicate areas of opportunity for growth and improvement within their area of expertise, and proactively seek support to explore these • Contribute and/or lead the production of subject matter material (such as procedures, process documents, walkthrough videos etc) that inform the content of training materials and outcomes • Raise awareness of organisation risks associated with skills and knowledge deficiencies • Contribute to building a strong and positive L&D culture through participation in stakeholder engagement and feedback sessions relating to the Framework Employees • Work with their People Leader to develop their performance objectives • Be proactive in identifying areas of support they require to further develop and grow • Embrace opportunities to develop and grow by actively engaging with learning and development opportunities relevant and accessible to them • Proactively and willingly participate or complete required learning and development as defined in their job description or as directed by the organisation • Adopt a collaborative mindset and share knowledge and experience with peers to support the growth and development of themselves and others

9 System Owner (IS) • Take joint responsibility as the system SME for the design, development and implementation of training on system/s (refer to Subject Matter Expert responsibilities) • Engage L&D in the event of process and system modifications, updates, and changes, to ensure an organisation-wide approach to training production and delivery • Collaborate with L&D Function and other SME to develop and deliver best practice learning solutions • Liaise with vendors and other third parties in the development of learning solutions to ensure organisational training standards are met • Adopt a collaborative mindset and share knowledge and experience with peers to support the growth and development of themselves and others Process Owner Process Owners are defined during projects and consist of a cohort of individuals whose role/team’s role have some dependency on. • Take joint responsibility as the process SME during the design, development and implementation phase of training on process/es (refer to Subject Matter Expert responsibilities) • Engage L&D in the event of process modifications, updates, and changes, to ensure an organisation-wide approach to training production and delivery • Collaborate with L&D Function and other SME to develop and deliver best practice learning solutions • Create and maintain underpinning knowledge collateral for training, such as procedure documents to ensure content remains current and relevant • Adopt a collaborative mindset and share knowledge and experience with peers to support the growth and development of themselves and others Vendor and External Specialists • Provide training elements as agreed between the HomeStart and their organisation

10 Employee Learning Life Cycle As a subset of the Employee Lifecycle (Appendix 3), Learning and Development plays an important role within each life cycle phase. Below outlines how learning and development supports the employee lifecycle. Attraction and Recruitment – Attracting the right individual for the role is critical. Engaged employees will promote the organisation and attract higher quality talent to roles. Learning and development have a responsibility to clearly define the expectations of knowledge, skills and attributes that individuals possess on commencing a role. Onboarding – HomeStart manages the onboarding of employees through myFoundation: a mapped development program that is customised for the role and individual; and that supports the employee through their first 6 months, to ensure they become independently proficient in their role. Development – myDevelopment is a platform in which individuals can access a variety of L&D opportunities to consolidate their knowledge and skills, and work towards their next phase of development. myPlan is HomeStart’s performance management tool. With functions to facilitate and track KPI progress, manage 1 on 1 meetings, collect feedback and document performance reviews in one place, myPlan manages the ongoing development performance of individuals, enabling individuals to take ownership of their development journeys. L&D supports this phase by developing and maintaining clear learning pathways to grow and diversify the knowledge, skills and abilities of employees, providing a variety of options for career progression and role diversification. Retain - meeting individual needs is a core requirement to retain valuable talent. Providing opportunities that allow for diversification of knowledge and skills that extend beyond professional competency requirements create a value proposition for employees. Cross-skilling and upskilling to provide new and challenging opportunities keep things interesting for individuals, and providing ongoing opportunities ensure employees stay current with their required skills and knowledge to succeed in their roles. myCareer empowers employees to manage and map their development requirements and goals, and provides a communication avenue for People Leaders, employees and People and Culture to plan the workforce. Separate – HomeStart wants to ensure an employee’s journey with our organisation has provided them with a skillset that can be transferred across organisations and roles. Our goal would be to keep key talent engaged through ongoing development and opportunities, however if people pursue another opportunity, we aim to have our people leaving a better version of themselves than when they started.

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15 Learning and Development Approach The HomeStart L&D approach considers the industry-agreed best practice methodologies, specific business objectives and business maturity with L&D and resource availability. The three fundamental methodologies2 that underpin the approach to HomeStart L&D elements are: • ADDIE Training Development Model • 70:20:10 Balance of Learning Model (Experiential Learning Model) • Experiential Learning Cycle ADDIE Training Development Model The Addie Training Development Cycle (TDC) is followed for any potential training need identified through formal or informal channels of the organisation. It provides a standardised approach for the needs analysis and any subsequent development and implementation training activity. The adoption of the ADDIE TDC not only provides a quality learning experience, but meets the needs of all stakeholder groups, providing flexibility for scaling of training solutions and reducing risks associated with implementing a learning and development initiative. 2 To read more about these models and other industry best practices models that may be adopted in HomeStart LD activity, please refer to Appendix 1.

Project Training Program Approach The training approach for organisational projects will align with the project following image summarises the project training program approach:

16 t timeline and require adoption of several methodologies. The

17 Analysis of Training Needs Analysing the level of need for training is critical to ensure that L&D initiatives align with the organisation’s strategic goals. Whilst an element of training is required for the acquisition of any new knowledge, skill or ability, the objective of the training, combined with the volume, duration, frequency and type of training may not warrant a formal training approach. Determining the organisational priority of L&D initiatives will be done through conducting an L&D Priority Assessment. This will assist in determining the level of support and recommended approach to the development of training and L&D plans. Initiatives classified as a high priority through the L&D Priority Assessment will have a Training Needs Analysis (TNA) conducted to assess current state capability against desired future state capability. In the event of performance deficits, with the implementation of new systems or processes, or a restructure or internal movement of an employee, the Knowledge, Skills, Abilities (KSA) gap profile derived from the TNA will inform the training needs. A TNA can be undertaken through a formal process utilising the TNA Self-Assessment and TNA Matrix tools and should collect quantitative and qualitative >[email protected] homestart.com.au