What the Graduate Program involves
The ATO's Graduate Program involves training, work placements and mentoring and support, as well social events.
On this page
Induction
Over a dedicated 5-day induction you will be introduced to:
- your training calendar
- corporate and security requirements
- what it means to be an employee of the APS
- what the different business areas of the ATO do.
You can hear from recent graduates about their Induction.
Training
Our regular training exposes you to a range of both stream-specific and corporate topics. You will consolidate and apply your learnings via research tasks throughout the year. All your training will be delivered by qualified facilitators who are topic experts.
You can hear from recent graduates about their Training.
Rotations and post-program placement
During the program you will go through 2 rotations and a client contact experience:
- Rotations will be in business areas – these will help you to develop your knowledge and capabilities across a range of topics.
- The client contact experience demonstrates the diversity of the community the ATO serves and the vast range of topics we provide advice on. You may be assisting clients via the call centre, myGov shopfront or answering real-time, online queries through our online chat function.
You will find out about your first business area rotation during your induction.
We will decide your:
- second business area rotation in the middle of the year
- post-program placement at the end of your graduate year.
When you successfully complete the program, you'll be eligible to advance to the next APS work classification level (APS4).
You can hear from recent graduates about rotations, the Client contact experience and post-program placement.
Mentoring and support
During the graduate program, you'll have the opportunity to learn from experienced staff who will guide and mentor you through your training and work rotations.
We provide support to our graduates at both a professional and personal level.
You'll be helped by our:
- Career Development Managers – who supports and guides your probation, approves your leave, recommends appropriate work rotations, and provides advice and support on any issues or concerns you may encounter.
- Trainers – who offer support through facilitating courses, marking assessments and giving feedback. They also provide additional tutoring and support to address any technical training-related questions.
- Rotation Team Leaders – who will support you in your workplace area and teach you the technical skills and use of IT systems relevant to your role. They will assist you to build your workplace capabilities and knowledge.
- Graduate peers – who will provide valuable support through the many training and assessment activities you'll undertake together.
You can hear from recent graduates about our Mentoring and support.
Evaluation
Your Career Development Manager will liaise with your trainers and Rotation Team Leaders to evaluate your performance.
You'll develop a performance tracking document with your Career Development Manager and your Rotation Team Leader. You will renew this in each new work rotation as you achieve your goals and set new ones. Regular feedback from managers and trainers will help shape your development needs and assist in keeping you 'on track'.
Social events
Our graduate program will give you an excellent social and networking base. Over the course of the program you will have many opportunities to involve yourself in social events specific to your site. In some sites, there are also social networks of graduates from across the APS.
Most sites also have active social clubs that run fundraising activities, happy hours, sporting competitions and family fun days.
The national network of social clubs hosts a sports carnival every 2 to 3 years. You can represent your site and state or territory in events, or just come along to enjoy the friendly atmosphere.
You can hear from recent graduates about our Social events.
For more information, see Check your eligibility or the ATO Graduate Program to find out about the recruitment process.
The ATO's Graduate Program involves training, work placements and mentoring and support, as well social events.