One choice, endless opportunities.
The NSW Government Graduate Program gives our graduates endless opportunities to shape and change the future of NSW.
Our program offers a competitive salary, support to complete post-graduate study, extensive mentoring and networking activities and a permanent role upon completion of the program, make one choice for endless career opportunities with NSW Government.
This page is for NSW Government agencies. If you would like to apply for or express interest in our program, visit the I work for NSW website.
Our program foundations
- The program targets entry-level graduates for each stream.
- The program provides graduates with structured and challenging experiences to develop the right capabilities relevant to working across the public sector, as well as any skills relevant to their professional discipline and organisational needs.
- The program exists to build long-term organisational capabilities and is not a way to address short-term vacancy pressures.
- The commitment from sector agencies determines the number of graduate roles in the program each year.
Benefits for agencies
Capability-based assessment
Graduates go through a highly-competitive and rigorous recruitment process to make sure the best and brightest are employed in the program.
High-calibre talent
The program has options for graduates with any Bachelor's degree or higher, including 4 occupation-specific streams.
Diverse, entry-level talent brings a range of perspectives and experiences to agencies across the public sector.
Attraction and retention
Retention of graduates is high with more than 75% of the 2016 - 2020 cohorts still employed in the sector up to 2 years after completing the program.
Nearly 75% of all former graduates were employed in an agency where they completed a rotation during the program.
Targeted university visits
The PSC takes a strategic approach to engaging with universities to reach the graduates that agencies need, including in regional locations.
Advertising and marketing campaign
The program raises the profile of the NSW Government as an employer of choice with a targeted, multi-channel approach tailored to graduates with the skills agencies need each year.
Workshop delivery across NSW
Workshops are delivered in both Sydney metropolitan and regional NSW locations.
Meeting the graduates where they are minimises costs and travel.
Our award winning program
The NSW Government Graduate Program ranks highly each year in the Australian Financial Review’s Top 100 Graduate Employers list. We have also been voted Australia’s most popular government and defence graduate employer 6 out of the last 7 years.
Our program has been accredited as a Disability Confident Recruiter for our commitment to removing barriers to recruitment and selection.
How to participate
The PSC contacts cluster secretaries and the heads of separate agencies and executive agencies in April each year seeking commitment for the following year’s graduate program.
The process of confirming the number of graduates needed by the sector, as well as identifying any specific talent needs, is finalised by the end of April. Maintaining this timeline is critical to developing a targeted advertising and marketing campaign.
If your agency is interested in participating in the Program, please contact us.
Information for agencies
NSW Government Graduate Program resources for agencies