2022 Graduate Program - Economics Stream

The Attorney-General's Department (AGD) delivers programs and policies to maintain and improve Australia's law and justice framework, and to facilitate jobs growth through policies that promote fair, productive, flexible and safe workplaces. Through the Australian Government Solicitor, we provide legal services to the Commonwealth, including legal advice and representation. We are the central policy and coordinating element of the Attorney-General's Portfolio, structured into five groups:

• Australian Government Solicitor
• Enabling Services
• Integrity and International
• Industrial Relations
• Legal Services and Families

We value different views, experiences and backgrounds and want to reflect the diversity of the Australian community in our workforce. We recognise that diversity will help develop our staff, our culture, and our business in fulfilling our mission of achieving a just and secure society.

Who we are looking for:

We are looking for engaged and highly capable graduates who:

• have strong academic results
• think critically and are curious
• respond positively to change and feedback, demonstrating flexibility and resilience
• build relationships with clients, stakeholders and peers
• research to find solutions to challenges and apply creativity
• bring and share diverse perspectives
• apply sound judgment
• communicate and engage professionally with people.

In return, you will be supported to become a well-rounded policy and program officer, practising economist or a legal professional with sound skills, knowledge and experience in an area of law.

Our graduate program offers the chance to experience a range of challenging and exciting opportunities to help develop your career in one of our streams:

• policy and program
• legal practice (Australian Government Solicitor)
• economics
• industrial relations legal

We also run Affirmative Measures bulk recruitment processes for the following streams:

• Affirmative Measures Indigenous:
  • Policy and Program
  • Legal Practice (Australian Government Solicitor)
• Affirmative Measures Disability:
  • Policy and Program

Economics Stream (Industrial Relations):

As an economics graduate you can expect to:

• Examine economic issues relating to the labour market and industrial relations, and provide analysis and advice on topics including wages growth, minimum wages, methods of setting pay, trends in enterprise bargaining, forms of work, productivity, and industrial disputation.
• Provide briefings to senior leaders and ministers on key trends in economic data.
• Contribute to the Australian Government's submission to the Annual Wage Review, the process in which minimum wages are set in Australia.
• Contribute to industrial relations policy development through the provision of economic and labour market evidence and data.
• Conduct research and statistical analysis (including econometric modelling) on industrial relations issues in the domestic and international contexts. e

You will also

• participate in development activities including a major project, which you will present to senior leadership
• contribute to a range of cultural and social activities including a high profile speaker series and fundraising initiatives
• receive support from supervisors
• get access to learning and development activities, including the opportunity to complete further study

As an economics graduate you will also have the opportunity to work across government with one of your rotations being in the Department of Education, Skills and Employment where you will see first-hand how government departments work in collaboration to deliver better outcomes for the Australia community.

To be eligible as an economics graduate you must:

• have completed a minimum qualification equivalent to a three year Australian undergraduate degree relevant to Economics or related fields.
• have completed (or will be completing) your undergraduate degree, or postgraduate qualification within the four year period (December 2017 to December 2021).
• have achieved a credit average or above at the time of applying, in the qualification you completed within the last four years.

If we offer you a position on the program, you will also need to:

• pass a police record check
• get and keep a security clearance at the appropriate security level.

All economics graduate positions are based in Canberra. Financial assistance may be offered where graduates are relocating from their home state.