Graduate Program - The Department of the Premier and Cabinet

General Overview

The 12 month program consists of 3 rotations in different teams. As a Graduate Officer, you will get exposure to and have influence on a broad range of exciting projects including developing key policy solutions to whole-of-government issues and assisting in shaping high level advice to the Premier and Ministers and other business areas across our six divisions:

• Delivery and Policy
• State Services
• Aboriginal Engagement and Native Title
• Office of the Coordinator General 
• Office of Digital Government
• Office of Defence Industries

As a graduate you can expect to undertake a range of duties throughout your rotations. An example of some of these duties may be:

• Drafting correspondence, internal memos, briefing papers, ministerials and reports.
• Researching and writing up issues from other jurisdictions.
• Drafting briefings for senior executives, Ministers and the Premier and submitting Submissions and Comments to Cabinet.
• Responding to Parliamentary Questions and drafting speeches.
• Negotiating with other public servants, not for profit organisations or private sector companies.
• Preparing discussion papers for the community, reviewing feedback and making recommendations for Cabinet.
• Participating in Departmental or Interdepartmental Committees.
• Attending official functions involving dignitaries and community members.
• Actively participating in on-the-job learning and training activities provided through the graduate learning and development program.

Conditions 

The Graduate Development Program is based on an initial 12-month fixed term contract with potential for permanency on successful completion of the program.

Graduates are employed at Level 3 under the Public Sector CSA Agreement 2024.  

• Salary on commencement will be $86,439 pa. plus superannuation
• Suitable applicants will be required to provide: Proof of identity 100 point check (details will be advised after selection) and a satisfactory National Police Certificate issued by the Western Australia Police.

Employment Benefits

• extensive training and development plan
• experience unique to the Department - interaction with Executive Government
• generous leave entitlements
• health and wellbeing initiatives
• comprehensive support network and Employee Assistance Program

Location

Most of your work will be done at the Department's offices in West Perth but, as part of the Western Australian Public Sector, your role might take you all over the State.

For further information please contact Graduate Program Coordinator on 6552 6845 or via email OrgDevelopment@dpc.wa.gov.au.  

The Department requires people with a wide range of experience and is particularly interested in recent university graduates who enjoy working in a team environment, can adapt quickly to change and have excellent communication skills, initiative and determination. As future leaders in the public sector, passion, commitment and a thirst for knowledge are essential.

You don't need a specific academic background as long as you can demonstrate academic achievements, have an interest in issues that affect the community of Western Australia, and want to think, talk and write about how Government might solve some of the biggest policy challenges. You will need to be a great communicator who thinks clearly and is not scared of putting up original ideas. You will also require an understanding of the rules and processes around what we do in the public sector and be willing to ask why.

Eligibility

To be eligible for the program, applicants must be an Australian Citizen, Permanent Resident or be entitled to live and work indefinitely in Australia. Applicants must also be university graduates who have a degree of 3 years or more, and who have graduated since 2025 or are due to graduate in 2026. The Department welcomes applications from all disciplines.

Diversity in recruitment

The Department is an equal opportunity employer. We strive to have a workforce that is representative of the diverse community we serve and encourage people from all backgrounds to apply.

We value differences and flexible thinking and ensure that our people feel supported to do their best work.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, people with disability and people under 24 years of age have been identified under the Workforce Plan and Workforce Diversification and Inclusion Strategy for the WA Public Sector 2020-25 as diversity groups under-represented within our workforce.

Applicants from these diversity groups are strongly encouraged to apply and indicate in their application the diversity group(s) they belong to. When determining the most suitable person(s) to be appointed the selection panel will take these considerations into account.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander applicants are encouraged to visit the Aboriginal services section on the Jobs and Skills WA website for support, information and resources.

Mimansa, 2025 Graduate

As a DPC Graduate Officer, you are at the forefront of the Western Australian public sector, experiencing the dynamic and fast paced nature of politics and government. 
 

I experienced this firsthand through multiple rotations across the department, where I was required to be agile and adapt my work to changing government priorities. Throughout the program, I completed rotations in the Cyber Security Unit, Parliamentary and Executive Government Services, Community Safety Policy, and the Office of Early Childhood. These varied experiences provided me with exposure to a wide range of policy and operational functions, while strengthening my problem solving, communication, and stakeholder engagement skills. 
 

Alongside this, the inclusive and supportive culture at DPC fostered learning and collaboration, setting me up for long term success and equipping me with valuable, transferable skills for my public sector career.
 

Molly, 2024 Graduate

The DPC Graduate Program has been an incredible experience, giving me the chance to work across a wide range of teams and projects. From Strategic Communications to Native Title Negotiations, Infrastructure and the Regions, every rotation gave me fresh insights and valuable hands-on experience in government policy and operations. 


One of the biggest highlights was my final rotation—the Caretaker Project. It was amazing to be so close to the action during the election period, seeing firsthand how everything comes together behind the scenes. 


I’ve been lucky enough to continue my journey at DPC as a policy officer, and I can honestly say the graduate program set me up for success. The mentorship, exposure, and diverse experiences have been incredibly rewarding, and I’d highly recommend it to anyone looking to kick-start their career in policy and government.

Jet, 2023 Graduate

As a DPC Grad, you’re always at the heart of important policy discussions offering a fresh perspective that is different from my previous line of work. I felt constantly plugged into the pulse of current events and emerging news headlines (sometimes getting an insider scoop to important policy decisions before it makes it to the 7 o’clock evening news). 
 

What I enjoy about the program is you don’t need to come from a specific degree to apply. So many of us came from different degrees and experiences. Though this, I got to work with amazing people from diverse backgrounds, each bringing unique perspectives to the table. 
 

The Graduate Program helped me appreciate the interconnected and cross-cutting nature of policy, where decisions on pressing matters such as youth justice can have rippling effects on Aboriginal engagement and other pertinent community policy issues. This broadened my perspective and highlighted the significant whole-of-government implications of government work, no matter how big or small.

Katrina, 2023 Graduate

As a DPC graduate, every day is different. 

You will be exposed to many unique opportunities and amazing people. You may find yourself working and learning about policy development, working in Parliament House, providing advice to the Premier and Cabinet Ministers, or even working on Government advertising campaigns. 
 

I applied to the DPC Graduate program because I wanted to work on tasks that make a real and lasting difference to the WA Community. As a DPC graduate, you learn new skills very quickly and are supported within the early stages of your career and beyond. 
 

Rotating across different departments was a highlight of the DPC Graduate Program, because you have the chance to find out what areas interest you and can broaden your skillset along the way! 
 

You also get to meet many hardworking and passionate individuals who share their experiences and expertise.

Darcy, 2022 Graduate

DPC’s Graduate Program offers a unique opportunity to gain experience and central-agency insight into the WA Government, and assist in the development of key policy solutions and advice to the Premier and Ministers.

In my time at DPC, I have been fortunate to work across a broad range of subject areas, and have supported the development of strategic policy advice and cabinet submissions, conducted data analysis and reporting, supported the coordination of high-level interdepartmental and industry consultation meetings, and much more.

Graduates can learn fast and gain significant breadth across the department through the program’s unique mix of rotations, targeted policy training, mentorship, Executive Government exposure, broad skill-building, and hands-on work. Combined with a supportive DPC community, the Graduate Program is an exciting opportunity for young people who are interested in kicking off a diverse and engaging career in the public sector

Blake, 2022 Graduate

I’ve really enjoyed working at DPC; it’s a fast-paced environment with fantastic people and a great variety of work.

My first rotation in the DPC Graduate Program was in the Infrastructure and the Regions Directorate, assisting with the inaugural State Infrastructure Strategy, infrastructure policy analysis and other exciting projects.

The highlight for me was the ability to rotate across DPC and the diverse mix of experiences I was exposed to.

Having a law degree from UWA, I want to utilise my combined engineering and law background to apply my legal, technical and policy skills to serve the WA Government.
There are so many great learning opportunities in Government, and it’s a great place to start your career. Give it a shot, you won’t regret it!