Welcome

Each year three of the four parliamentary departments offer exciting and challenging placement opportunities to graduates of Commonwealth departments and agencies. The 2023 Parliament of Australia Graduate Program (the program) offers opportunities for personal learning, career development, and making a difference to the people of Australia. The program offers passionate and committed graduates with an opportunity to expand their knowledge of the Australian Parliament and develop the skills and experience to become a future leader.

Applications for the 2023 Parliament of Australia Graduate Program are now open. We welcome applications from graduates from a diverse range of disciplines and backgrounds. Applicants can apply for a placement with either the Department of the House of Representatives, the Department of the Senate or the Parliamentary Budget Office.

About the 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. The program is designed to expose graduates to the parliamentary departments’ work in supporting the Parliament. The Department of the House of Representatives, the Department of the Senate and the Parliamentary Budget Office are offering placements, for periods ranging from three months for the Department of the House of Representatives, a minimum of four months for the Parliamentary Budget Office and six months for the Department of the Senate.

The skills and knowledge graduates obtain through the program are designed to contribute to building the foundation for career progression and professional development. We are looking for high performing graduates from a range of disciplines who are highly motivated, with sound research and analytical skills, effective communication skills and good interpersonal skills.

General information about the participating Parliamentary departments

Department of the House of Representatives

The Department of the House of Representatives provides highly qualified advice and services to support the efficient and effective conduct of the House of Representatives chambers, its committees and certain joint committees. The department also provides a range of services and facilities for the 151 Members in Parliament House. The department’s purpose is to support the House of Representatives to fulfil its role as a representative and legislative body. The department also promotes the work of the House in the community and supports the conduct of the Parliament’s relations with other parliaments.

More about the Department of the House of Representatives

Department of the Senate

The Department of the Senate provides the secretariat to the Senate—enabling its legislative and accountability activities—and to dozens of parliamentary committees, whose work encompasses the Senate’s scrutiny functions and its exercise of parliament’s broad investigative powers. In doing so, departmental officers provide the Senate, its committees, the President and other senators, expert, impartial advice about Senate and committee operations.

The department also publishes the Senate’s records and produces an array of information resources so that people may understand and engage in its work. With colleagues across the parliamentary service, the department also provides specialised advice and logistical support to senators so they may undertake their duties.

More about the Department of the Senate

Parliamentary Budget Office

The Parliamentary Budget Office (PBO) is a small, vibrant agency of around 44 staff. The PBO commenced operation as an independent institution of the Australian Parliament on 23 July 2012.

The purpose of the PBO is to support the parliament by providing independent, authoritative and non-partisan analysis of budgetary issues and the fiscal cost of policy proposals. In light of the current fiscal situation, the PBO is in a unique position to support the Parliament and general public at this critical time through analysis that is timely and relevant.

The PBO’s role comprises three main elements, which are to:

• enable fiscal impacts to be considered during policy development by providing policy costing and budget analysis services to all parliamentarians
• improve public understanding of budget and fiscal policy issues by conducting and publishing research in these areas
• enhance transparency around election commitments by preparing a report on the budget impacts of the election commitments of parliamentary parties after each general election.

More about the Parliamentary Budget Office

Placement opportunities

Where possible, graduate placements will be in areas which complement the graduate’s work 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
• promoting the community’s understanding of, and interaction with, the work of the Houses and the Australian 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.

Parliament House stands on the traditional lands of the Ngunnawal and Ngambri peoples, also known as Canberra. Successful applicants will need to undertake their placements in Canberra.

Professional development

Placements offer graduates valuable learning opportunities in a high-profile environment with relevant professional development. The parliamentary departments are committed to developing their people and graduates will have access to parliamentary-specific training during their placement. A placement in a parliamentary department is a graduate’s opportunity to be involved in the work of the Parliament without being political. Graduates are offered a diverse range of challenging and rewarding work in a variety of work areas.

Performance assessment

At the end of the placement, the graduate will be provided with an assessment of their work performance against set work objectives. This assessment will be conducted by the graduate’s supervisor in consultation with the graduate. A written assessment will be forwarded to the graduate’s home department or agency at the completion of the placement.

Salary and conditions

Salary and employment conditions will continue to be administered by the graduate’s home department or agency. At the completion of the placement, the relevant parliamentary department will reimburse the graduate’s associated salary costs on receipt of a tax invoice from the graduate’s home department or agency.

Other conditions while participating in the program include:

• extensive training and development
• experiences unique to working in Parliament House
• flexible working conditions
• health and wellbeing initiatives, and
• support network including managers and other graduates.

Eligibility

Graduates who have been accepted into, are undertaking, or have recently completed an existing Australian overnment department or agency graduate program are eligible to apply. The endorsement of the home department or agency must be confirmed through the application process. Applications without this confirmation will not be considered. Graduates are assessed based on their academic achievement and work experience.

Given the diverse work of the Australian Parliament, graduates from all relevant disciplines are encouraged to apply for placements with the Department of the House of Representatives, the Department of the Senate or the Parliamentary Budget Office. In addition, placements within the Parliamentary Budget Office require demonstrated analytical, research, evaluation and/or project management skills in the areas of economics, finance, statistics or commerce and have, or be in the process of obtaining, a baseline security clearance.

Successful applicants will be placed in work areas that complement their experiences while meeting operational demands of the relevant parliamentary department.

Diversity

We encourage graduates from all backgrounds to apply, including those with a disability. We value differences and flexible thinking and aim for all graduates to feel supported to do their best work.

The Australian parliamentary service strongly encourages applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander graduates. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander graduates are able to join the Parliamentary Service Indigenous Employees Network while working in the Australian parliamentary service.

Selection process

Applications are subject to a merit-based selection process. As a minimum requirement applicants must:

• be participating in, been accepted into, or have recently completed, a graduate program with an Australian government department or agency
• hold, as a minimum, a bachelor’s degree from an Australian university or a degree recognised by the National Office of Overseas Skills Recognition as equivalent
• be an Australian citizen, and
• for placements in the Parliamentary Budget Office, hold, or be in the process of obtaining, a baseline security clearance.

To be successful in obtaining a graduate placement with a parliamentary department, applicants will need to possess the following:

• an appropriate academic degree
• proven high-level analytical, research and evaluation skills
• demonstrated excellent written and oral communication skills
• a proven ability to contribute ideas and demonstrate initiative and flexibility
• a proven ability to organise, schedule, prioritise and complete assigned tasks
• an interest in parliamentary procedure and practice, and
• proven high-level analytical, research and evaluation skills in economics, commerce or finance (Parliamentary Budget Office applicants only).

How to apply

Applications for placements in 2023 are now closed.

2023 Graduate Program Information Session

The video of the information session is available at the bottom of this page. 

Further information

For further information please contact:

Tracy Weston

Director, People Strategies Office

Department of the House of Representatives

Telephone: (02) 6277 4745

Email: HRM.Reps@aph.gov.au  

Dijana Seminara

Senior Human Resource Adviser

Department of the Senate

Telephone: (02) 6277 3157

Email: HRM.Sen@aph.gov.au

Lauren Bullman

Corporate Support Officer, Corporate Strategy Branch

Parliamentary Budget Office

Telephone: (02) 6277 9534
Email: HR@pbo.gov.au