Defence

Features

The pick of the bunch

By Ric Smith, Secretary of Defence

In August Defence will commence its annual recruitment of high quality graduates for our 2006 development programs. Next year, up to 292 University graduates from a variety of disciplines will be offered a place within our department, an increase of 129 positions from 2005. The internal demand for Graduates across our organisation remains significant and continues to grow.

In 1969, I joined the graduate program with the then Department of External Affairs. In those days, the public service was different but no less exciting than it is now. Government departments were looking more for an 'elite' - those who had received the highest levels of education. Today, with more Australians University educated than ever before, Government departments are focusing on maintaining an upskilled workforce. There is a need to compete with the increasing private sector demand in an era of an aging population. As the challenges of formulating policy in an increasingly complex environment grow, it is essential that we continue to attract high calibre graduates to Defence.

The Defence Graduate Development Program (GDP) is one of the oldest in the history of the Australian Public Service. It is highly competitive and in recent years, the program has evolved from a predominantly generalist program to incorporate a more diverse yet specialised intake. Today, the GDP includes Human Resources, Information Technology and Infrastructure streams, as well as a generalist component. The Defence Materiel Organisation, Defence Imagery and Geospatial Organisation, Defence Signals Directorate, Navy Systems Command and the Defence Science and Technology Organisation now all have their own individual programs.

Successful participants undertake a ten to twelve month program that is carefully managed to introduce them to the Defence and wider government community. Graduates combine as many as three varied work rotations and undertake a series of specialised training courses, giving them a strong base on which to build their careers. In an increasingly challenging environment, Defence employs motivated, flexible people with a strong academic background and good interpersonal skills. Emphasis is placed on diversity and well-rounded graduates, with varying life skills and experiences undoubtedly an asset.

Graduates are an important source of entry to our department. The established program recruits people from all over Australia, harnessing their talents and varied backgrounds, and relocating them to Canberra. It is an important expectation of the program that graduates complete their graduate year with the requisite skills and experience to effectively contribute to organisational outputs and with a view to one day assuming a leadership role. The graduate program allows our Department to shape individual development through focussed training, rotations and learning experiences. The deliberate grooming of graduates has had a history of success, as evidenced by the number of former graduates in the higher levels of our Department. Potentially, over the coming years, the graduates of 2005 will have a large number of contacts across Defence - making a stronger and more cohesive leadership.

I have no doubt that Defence graduate programs continue to be a success. However, like everything there is always room for improvement. Last year I personally met with 2004 Graduates to hear their views on the program and I intend to do the same this year.

As a measure of my support for our GDP, a graduate rotation is available within the Office of the Secretary. From January to August 2005 Belinda Lohrisch and Kylie Pert, both international relations graduates, have been working as members of the executive support team. Ms Lohrisch tells me that she 'gained a lot of insight into the complexities of running a department as large as Defence' during her first rotation in my office. During her time with the GDP, Ms Pert has identified 'comprehensive training, new skills and a solid network of support as key advantages to undertaking the program'. Graduates are generally strong supporters of the GDP and many consider they have been afforded a unique opportunity to expand their knowledge of Defence and the role it plays in supporting Government policy.

Recently, 2005 GDP graduates spent a night aboard HMAS TOBRUK, where they observed a number of Navy training exercises including live firing and emergency response training. They also received an in-depth brief on the operations of HMAS TOBRUK as a part of the Royal Australian Navy fleet. In June, half of the GDP participated in a regional study tour of the Northern Territory, visiting Robertson Barracks, RAAF Base Tindal and Darwin Naval Base. The purpose of this trip was to introduce our graduates to the core business of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) in the regions. They also gained an appreciation for the ADF role in transnational issues and the impact this has on the wider Australian community. Both excursions provided them with 'hands on' experience to incorporate in their daily working lives. The remaining graduates are due to go to Darwin in September.

The desire to work in areas of public policy and administration should not go unrecognised and should be encouraged. The desire to improve the functionality and performance of Government and by extension, contribute to the continued stability of our country is invaluable. For Defence in particular, it is the contribution to the achievement of organisational objectives which assists with the defence of Australia and its national interests.

Both the Chief of the Defence Force and I believe that graduates are a key asset to Defence, and we are keenly aware that today's graduates include tomorrow's leaders. Most importantly, graduates will go on to fulfil Defence and wider Government objectives by maintaining top-level efficiency and by providing quality civilian support to the ADF. It is important for Defence to embrace the GDP and recognise the contributions graduates can make to individual work areas across Defence.

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