Public Eye: DFAT's decision to shorten 2023 graduate program, Natalie James' feedback, WEX students consider APS careers

The Canberra Times reported on the first signs of turmoil back in July 2022, with the department announcing the decision would come into effect for the 2023 cohort.

That did not go down so well, and after a lengthy freedom of information process, Public Eye has the correspondence to show it. The 78-page document released shows emails between union representatives for the 2021 and 2022 graduates and the Graduate and Entry-Level Programs Section, from May to November 2022.

The department made the call to slash its grad program after applications dropped by 30 per cent, the emails show. It linked the drop to 12-month programs getting trendier.

But the 2022 grads, who had already been shuttled off to the passport office during COVID, weren't impressed. About 65 (of 82) gathered in an "informal forum" to air their concerns about the changes in May 2022. They felt short-changed, convinced they would be competing with their juniors for sought after promotions and postings.

They were even less impressed that the 2023 group would graduate before them, and be eligible to progress to the APS5 rank after two years, while 2022 grads would have to wait three. A union representative for the group got in touch with the Graduate and Entry-Level Programs Section (GES), and arranged a meeting on May 31.

They floated the idea of letting the 2022 cohort graduate earlier, so the more senior grads could move up the ranks faster. The department initially took this idea on board in June, but a month later advised it would review it following feedback.

Over the course of several meetings and dozens of emails between union representatives and GES, talks reached boiling point in September.

"I would like the express my profound disappointment and dissatisfaction with how the ongoing process of making changes to the 2022 graduate program has been undertaken," a representative wrote in an email on September 9.

"At no stage of this process has it felt that the graduates have been engaged in good faith, nor properly consulted.

"When approached with queries and concerns regarding how the changes to the 2023 graduate program would affect 2022 graduates, and on the topic of the subsequent shortening of the 2022 program, GES have been extremely defensive.

"When the consultation on the decision was eventually forthcoming this week, it was rushed and called at short notice."

They wrote that a "lack of empathy" had been shown to graduates during a process that "caused undue confusion, stress, and anxiety", questioning the department's commitment to looking after employees' mental and emotional wellbeing.

Asked for a response to this, a spokesperson for DFAT said: "The graduate program is an important and valuable part of DFAT's ongoing investment in capability development.

"Mental health and wellbeing is a departmental priority for all DFAT staff."

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But it was not over. Talks continued, and the grads surveyed their peers. While the 2021 grads were supportive of graduating earlier than planned, 2022 grads were less certain, and more concerned about their juniors getting benefits they weren't offered, and progressing to APS5 more quickly.

But all of this proved fruitless, when the department was told it couldn't actually shorten the 2021 and 2022 programs in late October. The interim arrangements workplace relations policy, introduced to allow for APS-wide bargaining, discouraged changes to the terms and conditions of enterprise agreements. Oops.

"We are committed to continuing to consult with both graduate cohorts," the Capability Taskforce and People Division told grads on October 27.

"Noting we are unable to change the length of the 2021 and 2022 graduate programs, we will continue to work with both cohorts to explore what options are available and within our control via subordinate HR policy to help us address the concerns that have been raised."

Last week Public Eye called out the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations for a cringe-worthy pet post on LinkedIn, touting their flexible work policy as a way for staff to hang out with their "fur-child" while working from home.

This did not go unnoticed by the department's secretary Natalie James.

"Now we've really made it...is The Canberra Times Public Sector Employment section "making it"?" the secretary wrote in a comment on the LinkedIn post, following publication of our column. (Burn.)

Ms James also clarified the agency welcomed cat people, too, though comments on the post largely featured dogs.

The next generation of public servants and parliamentarians landed in Canberra last week, touring Parliament House, taking in question yime and grilling politicians.

About 60 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students from years 10, 11 and 12 have travelled to Canberra every year since 2015 as part of the WEX program. The program exposes students to careers in government, with a focus on promoting culture, leadership and social responsibility.

The group included students from Queensland: 17-year-old Jexile Banu from Tagai State College, 18-year-old Zachary Barnett from Lowood State High School, 17-year-old Trinity Hutt from Rockhampton Grammar School, and 16-year-old KJ Stuart from Mountain View Adventist College in NSW.

Students heard speeches from Minister for Indigenous Australians Linda Burney and National Indigenous Affairs Agency chief executive officer Jody Broun.

"It's been really great to be able to talk to other Indigenous mob here today as well, having our yarning circles ... getting their perspectives on what jobs in government are like, especially for Indigenous people," Trinity said.

"[The] particular challenges that they faced, it was amazing to get that insight," Jexile added.

Duane Vickery, who runs the program through his company ETMP, said it created a safe space for the students to hear different perspectives, and to speak up.

"We want students to be critical thinkers, not just to parrot or to mimic, we want them to explore and discover, have an opinion for themselves and to be critical thinkers."

Representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples is extremely important, Zachary said.

"It's been a problem for years and years. I asked this question personally to one of the parliamentarians: 'Does he believe that this place is still doing enough?' You know what I mean, to reinforce the culture and everything like that.

"And they're on their way, but they're not quite there yet."

Recognition and education on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture is critical in the context of the Voice to Parliament referendum, Trinity said.

"Especially with, the Voice to Parliament coming up, lots of people, even mob are divided over what's happening because there's not enough information being spread out there about which way to go."

"That is the predominant concern," Jexile said.

"We all need that help, we need that encouraging and that structure. We need a support system and we need that to be engaged and extended out there."

The federal bureaucracy plans to increase First Nations representation to 5 per cent of the workforce by 2030, from 3.6 per cent at the end of 2022.

Ashlen Foster-Britton became a public servant at Prime Minister & Cabinet, and then NIAA after completing the program in 2015. She's now a mentor supervisor for WEX.

"It's beautiful to have a look at the future of Australia because we know that they're all going towards great things," she said.

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