Human Resources Stream

Register your interest

If you have a mind for human resources and want to help our leaders develop the cultural and business intelligence necessary for our department to be a world-class policy agency, then we would love to hear from you.

Our program

As part of the Human Resources (HR) stream, you will work with HR professionals to help our leaders to continue building our workforce to be a world-class policy agency.

We participate in the APS HR Graduate Program, which is a whole of government recruitment program managed by the Australian Taxation Office. The program aims to build and uplift strategic HR capability across the public service. It aims to foster learning, collaboration and to contribute to a more adaptive, responsive, and future-ready APS.

APS HR Graduates will benefit from top industry expertise and get access to specialised training. Through your day-to-day work at your employing agency, as well as cross-agency collaboration of the Graduate Program, you will help build the HR function’s strategic capability and shape an APS that meets the needs of all Australians.

Benefits of the program include:

• specialised learning and development, designed and delivered by HR experts
• flexible working arrangements and future mobility opportunities
• Australian Human Resources Institute (AHRI) membership and mentoring program
• APS HR Professional Stream Network membership, connecting you to thousands of HR professionals
• networking and development opportunities with HR graduates and professionals across the APS.

Graduates will also have access to a blended learning program offering a combination of structured training, networking opportunities and on the job experience. Graduates may also be offered the opportunity post the graduate program, to complete an Australian Human Resources Institute (AHRI) accreditation course paid for by the department.

What our human resources graduates do

As a Graduate in the HR Stream, you may have the opportunity to work across various HR functions each focussing on important organisational behaviour and organisational development characteristics. Examples of some of these functions include:

• Health and Wellbeing
  • implementing mental health and wellbeing strategies in the work force
  • understanding return-to-work and worker’s compensation arrangements that support ill or injured employees back to work.
• Diversity and Inclusion
  • understanding how cultural differences align to an organisation’s values and traits
  • understanding how cultural differences improve the effectiveness of an organisation
• HR Metrics and Workforce Planning
  • ability to align present and future talent with organisational goals (people analytics)
  • participate in strategic business planning and workforce evaluation

‘In my time I’ve been fortunate to work on a few different projects within the department, the most prominent being the work I’ve done on psychosocial hazards in the workplace. In this project we have looked at potential hazards for employees and how we, as a department can position ourselves to be best equipped in identifying, minimising and managing these risks to our employees. This work has been extremely rewarding, not only in the recognition I have gotten from supervisors and peers, but in the sense, I feel I am able to contribute to something that is very important to our department. Coming into the department, I was eager to do anything related HR, given that was my field of study at university, but had not given a lot of thought to WHS. Being placed in this team has taught me a lot about WHS, including how to really look after staff, not just their physical safety, but their mental and psychological well-being also.’ - Brianna, HR Graduate (2020)

If you have any questions, please email entrylevel@dewr.gov.au.

Eligibility

HR Graduates are recruited through the HR Stream which is part of AGGP Australian Government Graduate Program (AGGP).

To be eligible for the HR Stream through APS Human Resources Graduate Program, you must submit a completed application prior to the closing date and time. Eligibility may include the following:

• evidence of Australian citizenship
• have completed (or will complete) at least an Australian Qualifications Framework Level 7 qualification (a Bachelor degree), equivalent, or higher equivalent by 31 December 2023
• have completed your most recent degree no more than 5 years ago on the date you lodge your application
• be able to obtain and maintain a valid Australian Government security clearance once accepted onto the program when required. Further information on security clearances is available from Australian Government Security Vetting Agency (AGSVA)
• be willing to undergo any police, character, health, or other checks required.

Successful applicants will be placed in a merit pool that will be considered by the APS and Commonwealth entities. Please note that agencies and departments and will offer different employment conditions and graduate program features.

How to apply

We are a participating agency in the AGGP Human Resources Stream which is part of the Australian Government Graduate Program (AGGP). Applications for the AGGP HR streams are now closed however, if you are interested in joining the program in 2026, you can register your interest and be the first to know when applications open.

If you have any questions, please email entrylevel@dewr.gov.au.