The NSW Government Graduate Program has been named as Australia’s most popular Government and Defence graduate employer.
This is the sixth time the program has won this prestigious award, after taking out second place last year in Gradconnection’s yearly rankings.
The program placed in the top 10 graduate employers in the country and was a finalist in the Most Popular Business and Commerce employer category.
Graduate programs like this feed into the skills pipeline necessary to diversify, and rebuild capability across Australia’s public services.
NSW Public Service commissioner Kathrina Lo said these were top priorities in NSW in the latest State of the Service report.
“Investing in talent acquisition programs and promoting the NSW public sector as an employer of choice is increasingly important as the labour market becomes more constrained,” she said
“The NSW Government Graduate Program is a key enabler for attracting and retaining diverse talent.
“I am excited to see this program continue to expand and to be a reliable source of talent for our sector in the long term.”
Rankings are determined by the number of unique applicants for positions in the program. As the country’s largest employer in its most populous state, the NSW public service has an edge over other jurisdictions.
In 2022, NSW government had 330,000 full-time equivalent employees, compared to 150,000 in the federal public service.
The latest cohort has just started its 18-month journey through the public service. During this time, participants will take on three rotations.
This year’s 182 graduates were selected from a pool of more than 4,000. The number of graduates has fallen from last year’s record intake of 285.
A spokesperson for the NSW Public Service Commission said the intake was lower this year because of lower demand.
“Intakes for the NSW Government Graduate Program are based on the needs of NSW government agencies, reflecting our ongoing commitment to retaining and attracting high calibre talent to NSW government,” she said.
“Agency commitments are based on workforce strategy and developing a pipeline of talent. Commitment varies each year in line with the employment market.
“This year graduates were placed in 28 different agencies and will benefit from three placements over the 18-month duration of the program (graduates in the social work stream will have two placements).”
Expressions of interest are open for the 2025 program.
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