In Australia, there is an increasing mismatch between the demand for psychologists and the ability of Australia’s universities to educate and qualify psychology students to enter the workforce: not enough psychologists are being graduated.
The demand for clinical psychologists has increased in the wake of the COVID pandemic. The Australian Productivity Commission has released a report suggesting mental health ailments may be costing the economy hundreds of billions of dollars due to foregone productivity. There are also the direct health costs to society to fund increased health care needs, albeit with insufficient practitioners to meet demand.
Media reports of July 2024 reveal that psychology has emerged as the most sought-after postgraduate degree in two Australian jurisdictions. Despite this growing interest, a staggering 79 of the 187 courses offered nationally have stopped taking new students, with most courses ceasing to exist.
The Australian Psychological Society notes that thousands of students want to become psychologists, but Australian universities are turning them away, in part because the education is lengthy and expensive. The Society also advised that Australia currently meets only 35 percent of its psychology workforce target, and that specialised streams such as community or forensic psychology may have as few as one course offered nationally.
What might be the consequences of Australia’s diminishing capability to produce psychologists?
Australia has always needed a strong cohort of psychologists for clinical and other roles. This demand will increase in the wake of the damage done by COVID, especially to younger Australians who are entering the workforce. Beyond COVID, the tendency of Western societies to fracture over numerous civil issues, for the sense of individual rights to increasingly trump collective responsibility, of the media’s apocalyptic reporting of climate change, war, and uncontrolled migration, all militate for an increased demand for psychologists to support the community.
Focusing now on national security, Australia’s federal government agencies depend on psychologist expertise to design and participate in routine pre-employment and employment action to identify people who are suitable or unsuitable to work in government roles. In the layer above resides the security vetting and workforce assurance needs of the national security community: the Australian Defence Force, intelligence and security agencies, defence-aligned private industry, AUKUS workforce, and the Department of Defence.
Relevant to national security community vetting performance is media reporting of 12-13 July 2024 about the arrest of a Russian-Australian citizen, Kira Korolev, a member of the Australian Defence Force with a federal government security clearance: she has been charged with preparing for espionage.
The media report raises questions about the effectiveness of Defence’s initial vetting – which is reliant on psychologists and their analytical tools along with security vetters exploring a person’s bona fides – to permit Korolev clearance to access classified information given she had come to Australia only ten years ago (at the age of 30) and became an Australian citizen soon after. The timing of the incident coincides with an Australian National Audit Office Report, released on 11 July, which flags significant deficiencies with the Commonwealth’s online security vetting system.
Beyond government, the issue is relevant to all private sector entities which have assets to protect and have workforces. The challenge is especially acute for entities subject to the Security of Critical Infrastructure Act 2018 which face the need of assuring the suitability of their critical workers, other employees and contractors. The challenge is similar for AUKUS industry entities.
As demonstrated by Korolev’s case, organisations face a multitude of insider threats – employees and contractors – that can jeopardise operations, data integrity, and reputation. Traditional one-size-fits-all security measures are no longer sufficient. At Pentagram Advisory, we understand the importance of a sophisticated approach to mitigate these risks.
In lieu of ready access to psychological direct support to enable a high level of workforce assurance and a robust security culture, there are approaches that can provide employers with the risk-based screening tools they need to initially and continuously assess candidates and current employees. Used correctly, these tools can identify people who need psychological review and assessment thus minimising the need to consult the precious few psychologists available and maximising the value of people with lesser psychological or human resources qualifications and skillsets.
Psychological services are a key element to inform and operate a sophisticated insider threat programme. At Pentagram we have developed approaches that minimise the need for psychological intervention within an insider threat programme.
Our risk-based and tailored workforce screening methodology prioritises a proactive stance, identifying potential risks before they manifest into security incidents. By evaluating the specific risk profile of any candidate or employee based on their role, access levels, and behaviour patterns, Pentagram can pinpoint areas of vulnerability and implement appropriate preventative measures.
The hallmark of our workforce screening process is its tailored nature. Recognising that no two organisations or roles are identical, we customise our design to address the unique needs and risk factors pertinent to your business. Our comprehensive assessments can encompass background checks, continuous behaviour monitoring, and real-time risk analysis, creating a dynamic defence mechanism that evolves with emerging threats.
We are committed to helping organisations fortify their defences against insider threats, ensuring a secure and resilient business environment. By adopting our specialised approach, you can protect your most valuable assets – your people, data, and reputation.Learn more! Gain practical advice at SOCI Workshop: Insider Threat mitigation and AS 4811:2022 Standard – Workforce screening on 5 September 2024 – REGISTER HERE.