Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade graduate applications fell in 2023, as CPSU criticises security clearance process

Interest in the prestigious government program has consistently generated more than 2000 applications since 2019, but fell to 1484 for the 2023 program.

The drop has been linked to the three-month delay in advertising for this year's program, which opened to applications in June 2022 rather than February.

The department received 2768 applications for its 2019 intake, 2807 in 2020, 2453 for 2021 and 2051 for 2022.

A spokesperson said DFAT was "unable to anticipate candidate application numbers post-COVID-19".

"However, we expect DFAT will continue to attract high-quality graduates who have a genuine interest in working with Australia's international partners to tackle global challenges, increase trade and investment opportunities, protect international interests to keep our region stable and help Australians overseas," the spokesperson said.

Across departments, applications also tended to peak in 2021, during the height of COVID disruptions, and drop in 2022 amid a tighter labour market, data from the Australian Public Service Commission showed.

The restructure also saw the department struggle to arrange security clearances in time for graduates, the public service union has claimed.

The Community and Public Sector Union wrote to the department at the end of January, concerned more than one-quarter of potential graduates for 2023 had missed out due to delays in the security vetting process, the ABC reported.

Candidates received a letter in September 2022 providing a recommendation to hire so long as their security clearances were approved by December 16, the letter detailed.

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But on December 21 some candidates, many of whom had declined other offers of employment, received an email withdrawing their employment and leaving them without any contact person to follow up with, the union wrote.

"Under the circumstances, the CPSU is of the view that DFAT should have made individual contact with the potential employees and considered providing options to enable participation in the 2023 graduate program through an extension to the start date, or exploring other options to assist these individuals," the CPSU wrote.

The issue appeared to unfairly impact people from a culturally and linguistically diverse background, whose security clearances usually take longer.

"The disadvantage experienced by CALD employee cohort would have an impact on DFAT's ability recruit a diverse range of graduates," the letter read.

The department has denied security clearance caused candidates to be knocked back, and said that it's security process does not discriminate.

"The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is committed to diversity in its workforce," a spokesperson said.

"Of the 2023 Graduate intake, 42 per cent were from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds."

"There were a small number of graduate program candidates not recommended for employment, but this was not a result of security clearance delays."

No formal offer of employment is given to candidates until security processes are completed, the spokesperson said.

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