Clare
2002 Graduate
Immediately after completing the graduate program in December 2002, I returned, as a project officer, to the Biodiversity Trends Section in the Land, Water and Coasts Division where I had completed one of my graduate rotations. In this position, I was responsible for managing a national Natural Heritage Trust project that looked at the benefits to biodiversity of vegetation enhancement activities. I was also involved in a range of project and policy work that covered areas such as fire management in the rangelands, natural resource management information and statistics, and monitoring and evaluation.
During the graduate year I also completed a rotation in the People Management Branch, where I worked on the preparation of the Department's Certified Agreement and coordination of the Department's input into the State of the Service report. This work was totally new to me as I did not have any experience in the human resources management field, but it was one that I really enjoyed. After the graduate program I maintained an interest in HR, and developed a strong desire to return to the field and further the experience and knowledge I had gained during the graduate year.
So when a position was advertised in the Workforce Strategies Section of the People Management Branch I was eager to apply. I was successful in gaining the position and was promoted to the APS 6 level in January 2004. My main focus in this new position has been the negotiation of the Department's new Certified Agreement which has involved researching conditions of employment and relevant legislation, drafting new clauses, preparing comparisons with other agencies, participating in negotiation meetings, briefing senior management, and developing a program of staff information sessions. The section also deals with a range of other workforce planning projects including development of a capability framework, succession planning and addressing the potential impacts of the maturing of the workforce.
Participation in the graduate program gave me great exposure to a range of different work opportunities, including those in areas where I had no prior knowledge or experience. The three rotations allowed me to gain a broad knowledge of the different functions of the Department, develop a range of new skills and form a great network of contacts, both internal and external to the Department.
'the best thing about working for us ... is the environment'