ACT Government
Graduate Program (Feb 2026)
Canberra, Canberra
Opportunity expired
Opportunity details
- Graduate Job or Program
- AUD 86750 / Year
- 50-100 vacancies
- Opens 27 Apr 2025
- Apply by 8 Jun 2025
- Start date 1 Feb 2026 - 26 Feb 2026
Choose your path.
Shape your future with the ACT Public Service
Are you a recent graduate with a passion for making a difference?
The ACTPS Graduate Program offers you the unique opportunity to kickstart your career in public service and contribute to the community that you live and work in. We are looking for motivated, innovative, and dedicated individuals to join our team and help shape the future of our national capital.
You'll gain hands-on experience through diverse rotations across various ACT Government roles, enjoy personalised learning and development opportunities tailored to enhance your skills, and secure a promotion following the successful completion of the program.
Applications close Sunday, 8 June; 11:59pm AEST
We offer you:
- A 10-month development program, including role rotations, designed to support you to establish and grow your career in the ACT Public Service.
- Start with one of the highest graduate salary packages in the Australian public sector, beginning at $86,750. After the successful completion of our 10-month graduate program you will be promoted and have a salary of $95,722.
- Diverse, equitable, and inclusive environment that values unique contributions and diversity of thought.
- Enjoy flexible work arrangements that support a healthy work/life balance throughout your career.
- Opportunities to explore an unrivalled range of career paths and make a real difference in the ACT region through innovation and creative solutions, including but not limited to:
- Finance
- Corporate
- Engineering
- Environment & Infrastructure
- ICT
- Legal (non-practicing roles)
To be eligible for the 2026 ACT Public Service Graduate Program, you must have completed a tertiary qualification within the past five years and be ready to start in early February 2026.
ACT Public Service is an inclusion focussed employer:
The ACT Public Service actively supports workforce diversity and is committed to creating an inclusive workplace. As part of this commitment, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, people with disability, neurodiverse people, culturally diverse people and those who identify as LGBTQIA+ are encouraged to apply.
For more information, please contact GraduateRecruitment@act.gov.au
Hiring criteria
- No experience required
- Australian Citizen +more
- Business & Management +more
- Bachelor or higher
Reviews
Day to day responsibilities vary on the project that you are assigned to, but I will give an example of the last project that I was on which was in the manufacturing space for a poultry factory. General day would begin with grabbing coffee with the team before heading to site. After we arrive at site we would have a 15-30 min check in and refresh to see where everyone is at with their responsibilities and if they required any support throughout the day. After that I would probably go onto the shopfloor to conduct a line study or just take observations for a specific trial that the team have scheduled, or just purely to touch base with a few of the key stakeholders on the shopfloor. Throughout my day I would also spend some time attending various meetings, such as supply reviews / demand review and take minutes when necessary. A large part of the role is also analysis and crafting your insights into recommendations for the client, so I would say a significant portion of my day is spent sourcing or creating data to support the various workstreams we have across the project. This may be through excel analysis, interviews, studies and or general stakeholder management.
Throughout the grad program, my role and day-to-day responsibilities have changed dramatically. I have worked from developing internal strategic approaches to organising external contracts and arranging ministerial briefs. This has all been good experience to gain and to be a part of.
Due to caretaker, I haven't been given any tasks yet (three weeks in)
About the employer
ACT Government
4.1
1,000 - 50,000 employees
Government & Public Service
The ACT Government is a professional, diverse and innovative public service. Our work is interesting, meaningful, challenging and fulfilling.
Pros and cons of working at ACT Government
Pros
Flexible work arrangements, interesting work, good workplace culture, ability to try di๏ฌerent roles within a short timeframe.
The values of the government permeate entirely through, leading to conditions, environments, and working relationships that are respectful, supportive, and purpose driven. Flexible working arrangements including time and place. Strong opportunities for professional development and career growth.
Progressive and dynamic culture. WFH ๏ฌexibility. Training experiences. Cultural experiences.
The rotation structure has absolutely worked in my favour and to my bene๏ฌt. I have enjoyed the range of experiences that I have had a chance to be involved in. It has allowed me to think about future career movements and areas of Government that I would consider working in.
Welcoming and respectful environment.
Cons
Not having much say about the roles we are placed in during the graduate program having to do 3 PDPs in each role (3 months), and doing 3 rotations.
Having to pay for parking in order to attend work. Itโs basically a pay cut.
Limited progress on your career path due to the diversity of the Graduate Program, but this could be beneficial as well.
Lack of clear and consistent procedures on how to complete work, timesheets and breaks.
Sometimes team members not going to o๏ฌce often to meet.