About the program

What is the purpose of the program?
The purpose of the placement program is to provide graduates working in the Australian Public Service exposure to the inner workings of the Australian Parliament and a better understanding of how their home department or agency interacts with the parliamentary departments in their support of the Parliament.

How long has the program been running?
The Parliament of Australia Graduate Program was established by the Department of the House of Representatives in 2004. The Department of the Senate joined the program in 2009, and the Parliamentary Budget Office in 2014.

Which parliamentary departments will be offering placements in 2024?
The Department of the House of Representatives, the Department of the Senate and the Parliamentary Budget Office will be offering placements in the 2024 program.

Program arrangements

What classification levels are acceptable?
Graduates up to the APS 6 classification (or equivalent) will be considered.

How many graduates are you taking?
The Department of the House of Representatives will generally offer up to four graduate placements. The Department of the Senate generally offer two placements and the Parliamentary Budget Office will offer up to eight placements.

If selected for a placement, how long would I expect to be away from my home department/agency?
Placement durations are as follows:

• Department of the House of Representatives placements are for three months.
• Department of the Senate placements are for up to six months.
• Parliamentary Budget Office placements are from four to six months.

When does the program commence?
The dates of each placement are negotiated with the successful graduate’s home department or agency. Placements can occur at any time throughout the year however, operational requirements will be considered when agreeing to commencement dates. Graduates should aim to have their placement cover as many Parliamentary sitting weeks as possible.

Where will I be working?
All graduate placements are at Parliament House in Canberra. Placements may involve working from home/remotely.

Are interstate graduates eligible?
Interstate graduates are welcome to apply, however they will need to make their own arrangements for travel to and accommodation in Canberra (this will not be funded by parliamentary departments).

Where will I be placed if selected?
Where possible, graduate placements will be in areas which complement placements in their home departments or agencies. Placements may involve:

• working with a committee secretariat providing research and administrative support to parliamentary committees
• providing support to meetings of the House of Representatives or the Senate
• supporting the Department of the House of Representatives corporate functions
• promoting the community’s understanding of, and interaction with, the work of the Houses and the Commonwealth Parliament, or
• working in the Parliamentary Budget Office preparing costings of policy proposals, undertaking budgetary and fiscal policy research or supporting the Parliamentary Budget Office's corporate functions.

Eligibility

Who is eligible to apply for the 2024 placement 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.

Do I need to get permission from my department or agency before applying?
Yes. It is expected that you will have discussed your intention to apply for the program with your graduate coordinator and/or your supervisor and have sought approval from the relevant person in your department or agency. You will be asked to confirm that you have your department’s or agency’s endorsement when submitting your application. Applicants who do not have this endorsement will not be further considered.

Can I apply if I have participated in the graduate program in previous years?
No. Unfortunately, given the limited number of opportunities offed each year, you will not be considered for another placement within the Parliament of Australian Graduate Program. However, vacancies in each of the departments are publicised on the following webpages:

• Department of the House of Representatives – Current Vacancies
• Department of the Senate - Jobs List
• Parliamentary Budget Office – Current Vacancies

Do I need a security clearance?
Placements with the Parliamentary Budget Office require a security clearance. Applicants must already have (or have underway) a Baseline security clearance to apply for a Parliamentary Budget Office placement. Where an application for a security clearance has been submitted to the Australian Government Security Vetting Agency (AGSVA), the placement cannot commence until the clearance has been granted. Any request for a security clearance must be sponsored and funded by the applicant’s home department or agency.

Placements with the Department of the House of Representatives and Department of the Senate do not require a security clearance.

Application process

When do applications open and close?
Applications for the 2024 Parliament of Australia Graduate Program open on 1 October 2023 and close 31 October 2023.

How many applications will you accept from each department or agency?
There is no limit on the number of applications received from each department or agency. Selection is merit-based.

What does my application need to include?
Applications will need to include:

• a résumé, including the names and contact details of two work-related referees, one of whom must be is your current supervisor
• an academic transcript
• graduate application form for PBO applicants which will be on the PBO careers web page, and
• a one-page statement (approximately 500 words) detailing:
  • relevant work experience, noteworthy activities, or projects contributed to during your graduate year in relation core skills
  • skills and knowledge gained that demonstrate your suitability for the program, and
  • how skills and knowledge gained through a placement will benefit your home agency, when you return.

General questions

Can I apply for more than one placement?
Applicants can apply to more than one parliamentary department and will be considered by each department.

What happens if an election is called during a placement?
If the placement has not yet commenced, the parliamentary departments may negotiate a different placement commencement date with your home department or agency. If the placement has commenced, it may be necessary to provide the graduate with a variety of other relevant tasks to complete.

Ahead of a general election period, the Parliamentary Budget Office seeks graduates to support increased demand in services and the preparation of the Election Commitments Report.

What will my salary be?
Your salary continues to be administered by your home department or agency so it will not change as a result of your participation in the program. At the completion of your placement, salary (including associated costs) will be reimbursed by the participating parliamentary department upon receipt of a correctly rendered tax invoice from your home department or agency.

What will be my terms of employment?
Terms of employment during your placement will be those of your home agency or department. You will be expected to uphold the Parliamentary Service Values and Parliamentary Service Employment Principles and the comply with Parliamentary Service Code of Conduct during your placement. If any dispute relating to your placement occurs while you are participating on the placement program, you will be taken to be an officer of the relevant parliamentary department and that parliamentary department’s dispute resolution processes will be applied as far as possible.

What training is available to graduates?
Graduates will have access to parliamentary-specific training during their placement.

Further information

Where can I find out about past participants experiences in the program?
Testimonials of past graduates can be found at the Testimonials page.

Where can I find out more about how to apply?
Information on how to apply for a placement can be found by visiting the Parliament of Australia Graduate Program webpage at Parliament of Australia Graduate Program – Parliament of Australia (aph.gov.au).

Who can I contact for further information?
For further information please contact:

Helen Ward

Assistant Director, People Strategies Office

Department of the House of Representatives

Telephone: (02) 6277 4745

Email: HRM.Reps@aph.gov.au

Dijana Seminara

A/g Assistant Director, Human Resource Management

Department of the Senate

Telephone: (02) 6277 3157

Email: HRM.Sen@aph.gov.au

Lauren Bullman

Senior Corporate Support Officer, Corporate Strategy Branch

Parliamentary Budget Office

Telephone: (02) 6277 9515

Email: HR@pbo.gov.au