Background: The skills and knowledge of the public health workforce in evidence-based practice (EBP) is not yet wide spread. Although the concepts are beginning to be introduced into some undergraduate and postgraduate degree programs, the existing public health workforce largely lacks the competencies necessary for EBP and policy making. At the same time, funders and governments are increasingly demanding an EBP approach across the entire continuum of care and for resource allocation considerations. As such, workforce development has been acknowledged as a crucial step in increasing the uptake of evidence in public health decision making. Objectives: This program of work has involved the development, piloting and refinement of training modules for public health practitioners and policy makers. Methods: Earlier work (1995 to 2004) comprised of a training program focused more heavily on key elements of the systematic review process. This work was informed by guidelines developed by the Cochrane Health Promotion and Public Health Field. Modifications to the program have been made as new partnerships developed and different sections of the workforce targeted. Results: Since 2005, evidence-based public health workforce training programs in Australia have increased steadily. For example, Queensland has internally conducted (with the Field’s support), sixteen 2-day EBP workshops. Process evaluations have been incredibly positive. The training is highly respected, and was made mandatory for many staff. Demand for the courses has continued, and it has been tailored to specific work areas. The use of EBP is becoming more evident. Recently, the key elements of EBP were embedded into practitioners’ core competencies during the implementation of an industrial award. In another state (Victoria), EBP workshops are being conducted by the Field for various health agencies, with success. As well as having a focus on the key elements of the systematic review processes, the training program now includes a focus on context, applicability and transferability, evaluation, and economics. Conclusions: The results demonstrate that workforce training can increase the capacity for EBP in public health. However, core competencies need to be developed with the schools of public health who will implement them into their degree programs.