Indigenous Graduate Pathway
Applications for the 2022 Indigenous Graduate Program are open and will close on 23 April 2021.
Apply Now for the 2022 Indigenous Graduate Program
One application – many opportunities
The Indigenous Graduate Pathway provides a rewarding career in the Australian Public Service. One application connects you with a wide range of opportunities across the Australian Government.
We are seeking graduates from all degrees, we want deadly ideas, fresh thinking and perspectives from all disciplines. Whatever your area of tertiary study is, there is an opportunity for you.
A career in the Australian Public Service, regardless of which Department or Agency you work in gives you the opportunity to contribute to Australia’s future.
Each Agency is responsible for a different aspect of Australian life, from education, health and community services to immigration, defence and infrastructure.
How it works
Our program is a pathway for Indigenous graduates to enter the Australian Government. We recruit on behalf of a large number of Australian Government Departments and Agencies. You apply once through our system and your application is assessed for all of the participating areas.
Successful candidates undertake placements that will provide the opportunity to undertake challenging work and make a meaningful contribution to the Australian community.
With years of professional expertise and experience in providing excellent advice and guidance to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, our team will support you every step of the way.
What you get during the program
As a graduate in the Australian Government, you will get hands-on experience along with formal development opportunities tailored to build your skills. This will give you a professional advantage in the increasingly competitive workforce, wherever your career may take you.
Typically, graduates undertake a structured program which comprises of:
- work rotations designed to expose you to business areas across the agency;
- opportunities to undertake a diverse range of real work;
- on the job and formal training to help you establish your professional grounding; and
- opportunities to build professional networks
- 12-24 months program duration depending on hiring Agency.
Who we are looking for
If you are looking for a great start to your career and can see yourself contributing to the work of the Australian Government, this program is a great match for you. You need to have completed your degree between January 2017 and January 2022 to be eligible to apply.
We are looking for great communicators who are motivated to contribute their skills and knowledge to the work the Australian Government does. For all roles, you will need to have demonstrated capabilities in the following areas:
- working with others;
- conceptual and analytical thinking;
- aspiration and engagement; and
- communication.
We welcome graduates from any discipline. You will need to have a strong interest in the work of the Australian Government and be ready to apply your knowledge, experience and qualifications to that work. Before applying you are encouraged to find out more about the employing Agencies.
We strongly encourage applications from people with disability and offer practical support such as making reasonable adjustments to ensure that you are able to participate equally in the recruitment process.
We are here to support you
Our team has years of experience coordinating programs for Indigenous Australians and are committed to supporting candidates through every step of the process. If you have any questions, something isn’t working or making sense, we’re here to help. We’re always happy to have a yarn.
Please contact the Indigenous Graduate Pathway team via Indigenous.graduates@defence.gov.au or on 1800-344-011.
The Indigenous Graduate Pathway is a whole-of-Australian Government centralised recruitment program. One application can give you access to numerous agencies across the Australian Government.
Wherever you work in the Australian Government you will find opportunities to undertake a wide range of challenging work and to make a major contribution to the Australian public. As one of Australia's largest employers, we offer:
- diverse, flexible and inclusive workplaces in locations across Australia, with many opportunities in Canberra at the heart of government
- good working conditions, with attractive remuneration and employer superannuation contributions
- challenging and varied work across a range of fields, with learning opportunities and networking available for career development
- an opportunity to apply your professional expertise and pursue your interests while contributing to the Australian community.
In 2022 over 40 Commonwealth Departments and Agencies are taking place in the Indigenous Graduate Pathway. An Agency Booklet, with further information on each agency participating can be found at the bottom of this page. Participating agencies are:
- Administrative Appeals Tribunal
- Aboriginal Hostels Limited (AHL)
- Attorney-General's Department
- Australian Bureau of Statistics
- Australian Communications and Media Authority
- Australian Competition and Consumer Commission
- Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission
- Australian Electoral Commission
- Australian Fisheries Management Authority
- Australian Institute of Health and Welfare
- Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority
- Australian Prudential Regulation Authority
- Australian Public Service Commission
- Australian Securities and Investments Commission
- Australians Signals Directorate
- Australian Taxation Office
- Bureau of Meteorology
- Civil Aviation Safety Authority
- Clean Energy Finance Cooperation
- Comcare
- Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment
- Department of Defence
- Australian Geospatial-Intelligence Organisation / Defence Intelligence Organisation
- Department of Education, Skills and Employment
- Department of Finance
- Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
- Department of Health
- Department of Home Affairs
- Department of Industry, Science, Eneergy and Resources
- Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development & Communications
- Department of Social Services
- Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet
- Department of Veterans' Affairs
- Digital Transformation Agency
- Fair Work Ombudsman
- Indigenous Business Australia
- IP Australia
- Murray Darling Basin Authority
- National Disability Insurance Agency
- National Indigenous Australians Agency
- National Library of Australia
- NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission
- Office of the Commonwealth Ombudsman
- Safe Work Australia
- Services Australia
- The Treasury
Make sure you’re eligible
To be eligible for the 2022 Indigenous Graduate Pathway you must:
- Be an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander person;
- Be an Australian citizen; and
- Have received, at a minimum, an undergraduate degree from a recognised Australian university (or equivalent overseas institution) between January 2017 and January 2022.
Documents you will need
During the process you will be asked to upload:
- your current resume
- your Confirmation of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Heritage*
- your most recent official academic transcript.
More on confirmation of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander heritage
Your confirmation of heritage should stipulate, that you:
- are of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander descent;
- identify as an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander person; and
- are accepted as such by the community in which you live, or formerly lived.
If you don't have a Confirmation of Heritage yet, you can still apply for this opportunity. Please get in touch with us, we're here to support to you. Please contact the Indigenous Capability Team indigenous.graduates@defence.gov.au.
You may also need to obtain an Australian Government security clearances.
The level of security clearance you need will be determined by the Department or Agency you accept a role with. We understand it can seem daunting but there’s no need to worry you can get an idea of what might be required. If you have any questions, you can always reach out to our team to find out more at indigenous.graduates@defence.gov.au.
Reasonable adjustments
If you have a disability and might require a reasonable adjustment to allow you to participate in the selection process, please indicate this on your application form. We can then discuss your needs with you and offer alternative assessment methods where required. All requests for reasonable adjustment will be considered and managed in consultation with the candidate. Email the Indigenous Graduate Pathway team if you would like to discuss reasonable adjustment.
You can register your interest in less than five minutes and we’ll make sure you don’t forget to apply when it’s time!
What you can expect
First, tell us your story
We just need to gather the information so we can get the best picture of who you are and what your skills are. We’ve made the application process as simple as possible. You will apply online, fill out all your basic details and upload a few files.
The things you’ll need to upload are;
Your Academic Transcript
You can get your official transcript from your university, email or call them for a copy.
Your Resume/CV
Your resume should include the contact details of two referees. These referees should be from work but might also be from university or extra-curricular activities.
Confirmation of Aboriginal and/Torres Strait Island heritage
If you don't have your Confirmation of Heritage yet, you can still apply for this opportunity. Please get in touch with us, we're here to support to you, email us at indigenous.graduates@defence.gov.au
If you meet the above requirements you may be invited to complete online assessments. If you do, there’s always an option to practice the questions and get used to the platform before you start. We will never remove you from the process based solely on your online testing scores.
Then meet, greet and yarn with us
Come and meet representatives from the Departments and Agencies participating this year in a low stress, culturally safe environment.
In a small group with other applicants you’ll talk through questions and situations together in a yarning circle group interview. You can talk about your experiences in university, casual jobs, your community and your future goals. Although this is an interview it’s also relaxed and conversational so we can see you at your best.
You will also undertake and individual and individual interview as part of the process. Agency representatives will ask a variety of questions, aimed at getting to know you better.
The meet and greet section is great chance for you to get a feel for which of the Department and Agencies you might want to work with. You can ask any questions you might have about what they do and what you might do there if you’re successful.
Next, tell us more
At the completion of the assessment process you will be invited to an individual validation interview (just a one-on-one yarn really) to discuss your placement preferences and suitability for a graduate position.
Finally, find your place
Results from all of your assessments will be collated into a report, which will be made available to all participating agencies. From this report they will make offers to successful applicants for their graduate programs and take you through what to expect if you work for them. Throughout the offers process we’ll do our best to find you the right position.