Address"In my time I’ve been fortunate to work on a few different projects within the department, the most prominent being the work I’ve done on psychosocial hazards in the workplace. In this project we have looked at potential hazards for employees and how we, as a department can position ourselves to be best equipped in identifying, minimising and managing these risks to our employees. This work has been extremely rewarding, not only in the recognition I have gotten from supervisors and peers, but in the sense, I feel I am able to contribute to something that is very important to our department. Coming into the department, I was eager to do anything related HR, given that was my field of study at university, but had not given a lot of thought to WHS. Being placed in this team has taught me a lot about WHS, including how to really look after staff, not just their physical safety, but their mental and psychological well-being also."
Brianna, HR Graduate (2020)
HR Graduates – Introduction
As part of the Human Resources (HR) stream, you will work with HR professionals to help our leaders to continue building our workforce to be a world-class policy agency.
We participate in the APS HR Graduate Program, which is a whole of government recruitment program managed by the Australian Taxation Office. The program aims to build and uplift strategic HR capability across the public service. It aims to foster learning, collaboration and to contribute to a more adaptive, responsive, and future-ready APS.
APS HR Graduates will benefit from top industry expertise and get access to specialised training. Through your day-to-day work at your employing agency, as well as cross-agency collaboration of the Graduate Program, you will help build the HR function’s strategic capability and shape an APS that meets the needs of all Australians.
The HR Graduate will also have access to a blended learning program offering a combination of structured training, networking opportunities and on the job experience. Graduates may also be offered the opportunity post the Graduate Program, to complete an Australian Human Resources Institute (AHRI) accreditation course paid for by the department.
What our HR Stream graduates do
As a Graduate in the HR Stream, you may have the opportunity to work across various HR functions each focussing on important organisational behaviour and organisational development characteristics. Examples of some of these functions include:
- Health and Wellbeing
- implementing mental health and wellbeing strategies in the work force.
- understanding return-to-work and worker’s compensation arrangements that support ill or injured employees back to work.
- Diversity and Inclusion
- understanding how cultural differences align to an organisation’s values and traits.
- understanding how cultural differences improve the effectiveness of an organisation.
- HR Metrics and Workforce Planning
- ability to align present and future talent with organisational goals (people analytics)
- participate in strategic business planning and workforce evaluation.
- Additionally, all graduates in the Graduate Program will undertake a formal learning and development program.
Who can apply?
To be eligible to apply, applicants must:
- Be an Australian citizen or will be by 1 October 2024.
- Must have completed your university degree within the last five years or be in your final year of study and have completed all your course requirements before commencing our program.
- Be prepared to obtain and maintain baseline security clearance.
If you secure a place on our 2025 Graduate Program, you will need to provide evidence of your Australian citizenship and be willing to undergo a National Police Check and health checks as required. The department will guide you through the process of obtaining your baseline security clearance as part of your onboarding process.
How to apply
We work collaboratively with other APS agencies to recruit talented individuals through other specialty graduate and entry level programs. These speciality Graduate Programs are co-ordinated centrally by AGGP.
Visit the APS Jobs Career Pathways website to find out more or apply. Make sure you nominate the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations as your preferred agency for your chance to join us!
Secure jobs are vital—driving future economic growth and providing people with certainty. We focus on connecting Australians who are starting, advancing, or changing their career with the relevant skills, knowledge, and experience to gain or regain employment.
Our work makes a difference to the lives of all Australians, and we want you to be part of it.
