School Leaver Traineeships
About the School Leaver Traineeship Program
Recruitment 2012
Recruitment for the Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities' School Leaver Traineeships for 2012 will commence on Thursday 1 September and close on Monday 26 September. Current Year 12 students and students who completed Year 12 the previous year are invited to apply. It is anticipated that there would be up to 10 positions available.
How to apply
- Applications will be online through the department's website at www.environment.gov.au/about/jobs. These positions are advertised on the department's website and in the Canberra Times.
- College/School careers advisors are given the opportunity to receive information on the program and have the traineeship coordinator and current trainees visit their schools and colleges to promote the program.
- The promotion of the program occurs around July/August in the schools and colleges, and we also attend the Careers Market held each year in Canberra, usually at the Australian Institute of Sport in August.
2009 trainees
Successful applicants
Successful applicants will undertake an Australian Apprenticeship (known as the traineeship) with the Australian Government Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities. The traineeship runs from mid February until late December each year. The traineeship requires trainees to:
- undertake three job rotations in the department which involve trainees undertaking a range of administrative functions
- complete Certificate IV in Government. Certificate IV in Government training will include attendance at workshops and learning groups, and successful completion of the fifteen units of study.
For trainees who successfully complete the Certificate IV in Government, by the end of December, satisfactorily complete three job rotations, and who meet employment and probation requirements, ongoing employment at the APS Level 1-2 will be offered.
Training while at Work or Learn and Earn
As part of the traineeship, the school leavers are also required to complete a Certificate IV in Government, which is currently done by participation in in-house training sessions run by an external trainer. The training sessions are delivered in an engaging manner through group and individual activities and discussions to help build practical skills for the workforce. Training days are always enjoyed by the trainees as the delivery method is very in touch with how they learn. The assignments that are given are always manageable and flexible which helps keep the work/life balance in perspective. In addition to the Certificate IV in Government trainees are required to attend a variety of in house and external courses. These courses could include:
- Writing for the APS
- Diversity and Cultural Awareness
- Intranet (SharePoint)
- Records Management
- Finance training
The support crew
Each of the school leaver trainees is supported by a network of buddies and mentors as well as the staff who they are directly working with. Each trainee is given a mentor and a buddy at the start of the year to help them with any work related advice. Mentors are generally staff who have been working in the department for a period of time and have a lot of experience. They can give great advice on what areas are involved with what projects, which staff members to contact for different issues and assist with general networking and give friendly advice.
Buddies are trainees from the year before who have stayed on with the department. They can offer really great advice on which areas provide good rotations, give assistance if you need help with any of the training/assessment requirements, answer any of the silly questions you might not want to ask your mentor or supervisors and just provide a friendly face to see at work. Many of the 2009 and 2010 school leavers have become quite good friends and we use this support group quite frequently.
The program director is a major support person for the trainees, as they are not only aware of the team of staff the trainee is working with, but also the expectations of the trainee of the team, and the team of the trainee. They also have enough authority to speak with supervisors if there are any problems with the trainee's workload or if they are feeling unhappy in their rotation. The current program director is well loved by all the trainees, and does a great job of keeping up to date with what is going on and making sure the trainees are happy in their rotations.
"I have really enjoyed being a mentor to one of the trainees this year. It's a great way to help them make new contacts in the workplace and share some advice on how to get involved with different projects and activities in their areas. My mentee and I always have really good talks and it's good to know that she feels she can talk to me about any problems that she has with her rotations."
Heather, Mentor
"Being a buddy to the 2009 trainees is a real privilege, we get to pass on our knowledge of the department and the traineeship, be there for guidance and support when our buddies need us. It's awesome to get to see the 2009 trainees grow from ex school students into hard working APS employees. As we have shared many of the same experiences we can relate to each other and have formed a close bond!"
Laura, Buddy
Find out more
For more information on the traineeship program, refer to the school leaver brochure or contact the Program Coordinator by email at schoolleavertrainees@environment.gov.au or call 02 6274 2200.
