While police services around the country are poaching officers and recruits from each other by offering thousands of dollars in sign-on incentives, relocation costs and paid-up study, the oldest military training college in the country this year had 201 graduates, the most in its 112-year history.
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The desire to sign on for officer training at Canberra's Royal Military Academy at Duntroon is running at its highest level yet, ironically at a time when skills shortages across a wide range of critical vocations, such as teaching and nursing, are at near-crisis levels.
With an average age of 24, the 201 officer cadets from the 143rd graduating class this year included three members of the Royal Australian Air Force, and 20 international cadets from New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Thailand, Cambodia, Fiji, Malaysia, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore and Qatar.
Over 16,000 people have graduated throughout the college's history.
Lieutenant Colonel Brian Hickey, who completed his first year of a "hectic" two-year rotation as commanding officer at the college, said that the culture within the cohort was vastly different to some years ago and that there was an overwhelming sense of unity among the graduates.
And that's despite the college having a remarkable mix of young people, some who chose to join straight out of year 12, others who have pursued professional careers in private industry and joined up, and those pursued four years of academic study at the nearby Australian Defence Force Academy and finished at Duntroon.
"In terms of integration, we see very little to minor issues with these groups coming together," he said.
"When you put it to them you are all going to be lieutenants in army, working together in a very short period of time, that's a pretty quick way for them to understand not only the privilege but the responsibility that comes with that role."
There's also a strong effort by the Australian Defence Forces to find a place for those who, for whatever reason, decide life at the military college isn't for them.
"We fight extremely hard if someone has enlisted, to retain them in some way, shape or form whether that's transferring them to become a soldier, transferring them to become a reserve officer," he said.
"Because if that person has a willingness to contribute back to society and their community, then we need to harness that.
"It doesn't always mean that Duntroon is the right place for them, but there is a place for them. And we just need to work out where that place is."
Criticism has been levelled at the culture within ADFA for decades. In 1998, Defence official Bronwyn Grey released a scathing report which revealed a high level of unacceptable behaviour at ADFA, including sexual harassment and sexual offences.
In 2017-18, the college was racked by a series of scandals, one of the worst being the so-called "Skype scandal" in which an 18-year-old cadet alleged she had been filmed and broadcast without her knowledge during a consensual sexual encounter, leading to the officer in charge of ADFA being instructed to take immediate leave.
However, in a significant indicator of a cultural shift within the training ranks, it was notable that commanding the 2023 graduating parade was Lieutenant Sophie Clark from Adelaide, who was awarded the prestigious sword of honour.
