Defence

Wordsmith

Fresh crop of grads in '06

Ric Smith, Secretary

You may encounter them wandering the floors of Russell or, later in the year, through Navy, Army or Air Force facilities in a slightly lost fashion. A fresh group arrive with the start of each year - and the 2006 graduates commenced their induction, I hope, without too much dazed wandering last week.
Late last year I asked a 2005 participant, Jedidiah Reardon, to provide a first hand insight into the world of the Graduate Development Program.
R.C. SMITH
Secretary

Any questions?

The phrase most commonly heard by grads during their first 10 months with the department is "Any questions?" If I had a dollar for every time I have been asked whether I have any questions, I could retire a millionaire. Grads get asked if they have any questions about Defence, about briefings, training, new rotations, how to work the office shredder..and we also get asked about being grads.

The purpose of the graduate program, from the grads' point of view, is to question; to find out all that we can about the structure and workings of Defence. It is a kind of apprenticeship in working as a public servant in the Department of Defence. Alternately, from the department's side, grads are there to be trained and made useful. Most grads have strong abilities in the use of office equipment (photocopiers, faxes, etc) and some show an aptitude for day to day administrative tasks. On the more serious side, grads are recruited because they have specific skills. The five streams of the Graduate Development Program (GDP) - Infrastructure, People, Information, Business, and Generalist - reflect this mixture of skills.

The basic facts about the grad program are simple, but often asked is 'What do grads actually do?' The quick answer is: we work. Grads will do any work they are given since to us it is all beneficial experience. The better answer is that, as we are learning about the department, we are looking at it with fresh eyes, asking questions and trying to understand why procedures and policies work the way they do.

In the 10 months of the program graduates get a varied view of Defence. With three rotations, each of about three months duration, we accumulate experience from three different areas within the department, not to mention the definite 'learning' experience of applying for three sets of 'G drive' access. In that way, we are like any other Defence employee who is new to an area and learning the ropes. There are, however, some differences: a structured training and briefing program, as part of our commitments under the GDP, mean that it is normal to find grads congregating around the R1 theatrette for Senior Officer Briefings or absent from the workplace for a day to attend 'Winning That Job' training.

With all of this in mind, what should areas lucky enough to win grads do with them? Some areas are quite practised with putting grads to work, while others may never have had a grad work for them before. The best piece of advice I can give from the perspective of a grad is this: treat grads as part of the team. We are here to learn about the department and to gain as many different experiences during the grad year as we can.

Grads come in all types: some bring private sector experience; some have come from university straight to the Australian Public Service. The common factor is that all grads are enthusiastic and willing to learn. Although grads may not be able to do everything straight away ('Don't ask me, I'm just a grad') and although they are willing to do all types of work ('Of course I don't mind fetching the coffees for the area'), please look on any grad in your area as an asset to the team and someone who needs the opportunity to do useful work just as much as any other team member.

I have enjoyed my time as a grad in the Defence Graduate Development Program. It has been a brilliant experience and I am grateful to the three areas I had rotations in for their support and guidance throughout the year. While I know that the year has not as beneficial good for all of my peers in the graduate program, I think that the overall feeling is that we have had a fruitful experience with the department.

As I write, my stint in the graduate program is almost at an end. February marks the beginning of a whole new cycle of graduates through Defence. There are over 80 new participants on the GDP in 2006, not to mention many more in the Defence Signals Directorate, Defence Intelligence and Geospatial Organisation, the Defence Science and Technology Organisation and the Defence Materiel Organisation programs; eager, enthusiastic, and ready to absorb the knowledge of Defence that the 2005 grads have now achieved.

Any questions?

Jedidiah Reardon was a graduate in 2005.

For further information about 'bidding' for a graduate to undertake a three-month rotation in your area, see DEFGRAM 654/2005 or visit the GDP website at: http://defweb.cbr.defence.gov.au/dpe/gdp.

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