2026 Graduate Development Program

**The Opportunity**

Do you want to help shape the future of Australia’s infrastructure, transport, regional development, communications or creative industries?

The Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts (the department) is seeking motivated graduates to join our highly-regarded Graduate Development Program (Graduate Program/Program).

Get involved planning the transport and telecommunications systems of tomorrow, designing liveable future-facing cities, or preparing for the global digital economy.

You can also help empower our regional communities, promote our thriving arts sector, or protect and celebrate the culture, heritage and languages of First Nations people.

If you’re seeking an exciting and rewarding start to your career, improving the lives and opportunities of Australians, we want to hear from you.

**Why Choose Our Department?**

Our department spans many great portfolios and provides graduates with the opportunity to rotate through three different work areas to find the best career fit.

Our work touches the lives of all Australians and underpins our economy and society. Our values and objectives are to be respectful, informed, collaborative, adaptive and accountable. Through our commitment to our values, as well as continuous learning and development, we maintain an inclusive, fulfilling and supportive environment that promotes the wellbeing of our people.

**Your life. Your contribution. Your development. Your Passion.**

We understand the transition from study to a career can be challenging. Many of our graduates relocate from other parts of Australia and, for some, it is also their first experience of living away from home. We work hard to make it as easy as possible and offer a generous travel, accommodation and storage package.

We value our diverse and unique workforce and are committed to creating an inclusive culture where our people feel connected, valued and respected for who they are and what they bring to the workplace. We know a culture of inclusion enhances our work performance and the wellbeing of everyone. In 2024, Diversity Council Australia recognised the department as an inclusive employer for our diversity measures and we continue to build on these measures to ensure that the department is an inclusive, safe environment in which people from all walks of life can thrive. In 2024, we also achieved Bronze Tier Status in the Australian Workplace Equality Index which covers the ‘foundational’ and baseline of LGBTQ+ inclusion efforts across an organisation. It contains criteria which are the building blocks for creating an inclusive culture within an organisation.

Don’t just take our word - you can hear directly from our previous graduates and their experience in the Graduate Development Program on our department’s website. The department has been listed as a Top Graduate Employer for 2025 by Prosple.

**The Program**

Our Graduate Development Program will help kick start your career, build professional skills and contribute to high profile and diverse work with real impact. The Program is designed to enhance the skills you have acquired at university and introduce you to working in the Australian Public Service (APS). You will develop professional public sector skills through a combination of work rotations, internal training and formal learning and development. The Program provides a unique 11 month accelerated career progression, with salary increases and advancement from the APS Level 3 to APS Level 5 on successful completion.

The Program includes:

- ability to grow your networks and provide you with access to our senior leaders
- three challenging and diverse work rotations across our high-profile portfolios
- commencement as an APS3 employee (from $69,761 plus 15.4% superannuation)
- upon successful completion of rotations one and two, advancement to an APS4 (from $77,294 plus 15.4% superannuation)
- upon successful completion of the Program, advancement to an ongoing APS5 (from $86,291 plus 15.4% superannuation)
- a structured learning and development program to set you up for success
- Access to our internal staff networks, assigned an SES mentor and access to a network of former Graduates.
- **Listed salaries are as at 13 March 2025**

Throughout the Program you will have access to professional development opportunities. Upon successful completion of the Program, you may receive financial support and paid leave to undertake further study in relevant areas, and broader Australian Public Service and mobility and career progression within the department.

The department‘s Enterprise Agreement 2024 offers more information about our employment conditions.

Rotations

Throughout our Graduate Program, you will undertake three workplace rotations over 11 months. This allows you to get a sense of the diversity of work across our portfolio and make a meaningful contribution in each area. Rotation placements are determined