Parliament of Australia Graduate Program (HR Stream)

The 2025 Parliament of Australia Graduate Program offers high performing and committed graduates the opportunity to develop skills in the human resource field of practice while expanding their knowledge of the Australian Parliament and contributing to its operations.

The 2025 Parliament of Australia Graduate Program (HR Stream) is for graduates in human resources. Graduates from other disciplines and backgrounds are encouraged to apply in the general stream.

About the program

Placements are open to graduates who have been accepted into, are in, or have recently completed an existing Australian government department or agency graduate program. The program is designed to expose graduates to supporting Parliamentarians and their staff with best practice HR advice through an election process. 

The skills and knowledge graduates obtain through the program are designed to contribute to building the foundation for career progression and professional development. We are looking for high performing graduates who are highly motivated and have sound research and analytical skills, effective communication skills and good interpersonal skills. 

About the Parliamentary Workplace Support Service

The PWSS are trusted advisors providing independent, confidential and trauma aware human resource advice to create and maintain safe, respectful, and inclusive workplaces. The establishment of the PWSS is in response to the Set the Standard: Report on the Independent Review into Commonwealth Parliamentary Workplaces.

The PWSS provides a broad range of human resource advice and assistance to parliamentarians and their staff including:

• employment life-cycle matters such as job design, recruitment, probation, performance management, office structure and termination
• education, training and professional development, and
• work health and safety policy, compliance and incident management.

More about the PWSS

Placement opportunities

Successful graduates will, where possible, be placed in areas that complement the graduate’s work experience in their home departments or agencies, while meeting operational demands of the PWSS. Placements may involve undertaking the following functions:

• HR advice
• Recruitment
• Restructures
• Probation and performance management 
• Deferral periods.

Parliament House is located in Canberra, the traditional lands of the Ngunnawal and Ngambri peoples. Successful applicants will need to undertake their placements in Canberra.

Professional development

Placements offer graduates valuable learning opportunities and professional development in a high-profile environment. The Parliamentary Workplace Support Service is committed to developing their people and graduates will have access to training relevant to the Commonwealth parliamentary context. A placement in the PWSS is a graduate’s opportunity to contribute to a workplace culture change that will strengthen our democracy in the future. Graduates are offered a diverse range of challenging and rewarding work across the human resources field of practice.

Performance assessment

At the end of the placement, graduates will be provided with an assessment of their work performance against set work objectives and the APS Work Level Standards. This assessment will be conducted by the graduate’s supervisor in consultation with the graduate. A written assessment will be forwarded to the graduate’s home department or agency at the completion of the placement.

Salary and conditions

Salary and employment conditions will continue to be administered by the graduate’s home department or agency. At the completion of the placement, the PWSS will reimburse the graduate’s associated salary costs on receipt of a tax invoice from the graduate’s home department or agency.

Other conditions while participating in the program include: 

• extensive training and development 
• experiences unique to working in Parliament House 
• flexible working conditions
• health and wellbeing initiatives, and 
• support network including managers and other graduates.

Applicants are required to comply with the policies of PWSS, which includes upholding the APS Values and compliance with APS Code of Conduct as set out in the Public Service Act 1999.

Eligibility

Graduates who have been accepted into, are undertaking, or have recently completed an existing Australian government department or agency graduate program within the last five years are eligible to apply. The endorsement of the home department or agency must be confirmed through the application process. Applications without this confirmation will not be considered. Graduates are assessed based on their academic achievement and work experience.

Diversity 

We encourage graduates from all backgrounds to apply. We value diversity and are committed to maintaining a workplace that values the contribution of people from different backgrounds, experiences and perspectives. We welcome applications from First Nations people, people with disabilities and people from diverse cultural backgrounds, those who identify as LGBTIQA+, mature aged people and carers. 

Selection process

Applications are subject to a merit-based selection process. As a minimum requirement applicants must:

• be participating in, been accepted into, or have recently completed, a graduate program with an Australian government department or agency within the last five years;
• hold, as a minimum, a bachelor’s degree from an Australian university or a degree recognised by the National Office of Overseas Skills Recognition as equivalent;
• be an Australian citizen; and
• hold, or be in the process of obtaining, a baseline security clearance.

To be successful in obtaining a graduate placement with the PWSS, applicants will need to possess the following:

• an appropriate academic degree
• proven high-level analytical, research and evaluation skills
• demonstrated excellent written and oral communication skills
• a proven ability to contribute ideas and demonstrate initiative and flexibility
• a proven ability to organise, schedule, prioritise and complete assigned tasks.

How to apply

Applications for placements in 2025 will open on Thursday 14 November 2024 and close on Sunday 8 December 2024.

To submit your application for a placement, please complete the application form via the PWSS Careers page.