Graduate Opportunities

Employers in Australia and New Zealand are increasingly recognising the benefits of fostering and supporting a diverse workforce. Most organisations welcome applications from people from minority or disadvantaged groups, and many have specific diversity policies which ensure they have strong opportunities.

Diversity can be a strategic tool to build a stronger, more flexible organisation. Leaders now recognise that an equitable workforce must be linked to business objectives. Diversity is not a social program to correct past injustices, nor does it involve quotas. It must protect the principle of merit to avoid tokenism or reverse discrimination. Employment based on merit remains fundamental, even when diversity policies are in place.

In many organisations, equality has traditionally equaled sameness. But this ignores fundamental differences between people. Diversity is not just about increasing visible differences in the workforce; it is about the strategic advantages that come from incorporating a wide variety of approaches
and perspectives.

Managing diversity is about creating an environment in which everyone can achieve his or her full potential. Employees are happier and more productive if they are appreciated and included, not assimilated or tolerated.

Many employers have specific policies and programs designed to encourage a diverse workplace. Employers that encourage applications from graduates with disabilities include:

Audit Office of NSW
AusAID
AUSENCO
Australian Bureau of Statistics
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare
Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA)
Brisbane City Council
Centrelink
Chevron
Connell Wagner
Defence Graduate Development Program
Defence Signals Directorate
Deloitte
Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry
Department of Education Science and Training
Department of Employment and Workplace Relations
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
Department of Health & Ageing
Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs
Department of Industry, Tourism and Resources
Department of the Environment and Heritage
Department of Transport and Regional Services
Department of Veterans’ Affairs
Ford Motor Company
FRH GROUP PTY LTD
GHD Limited
Goulburn-Murray Water
Honeywell
IBM
Lend Lease Corporation
LexisNexis New Zealand Limited
Lion Nathan
MasterFoods Australia New Zealand
Media Sales Cadetship
Medicare Australia
Ministry of Economic Development
NAB
Northern Territory Treasury
Nova Corporation
Office of Public Works and Services (OPWS),
NSW Department of Commerce
Orica Limited
Parsons Brinckerhoff
Pharmaceutical Sales Cadetship
Public Transport Authority of WA
Rio Tinto
Sales Cadetship
Seymour Whyte Constructions
Sydney Water
Tasmanian Department of Infrastructure, Energy & Resources
The Treasury
Unilever Australasia
United Group Ltd
URS
Victorian WorkCover Authority
Westpac
Westpac (New Zealand)
Woodside Energy Ltd
WorleyParsons
Xstrata

Improved innovation and creativity are documented benefits of diversity

Teams that are diverse and inclusive find more innovative, feasible and effective ways to overcome challenges. They bring a variety of perspectives to a situation and thus offer a wider range of solutions.

Graduate schemes designed to specifically encourage diverse recruitment are increasingly common. Many of the organisations advertised in this publication have specific recruitment initiatives to encourage diversity, such as Indigenous cadetship programs and schemes to recruit people with disabilities.

National Indigenous Cadetship Project

The National Indigenous Cadetship Project (NICP) is part of the Australian Government’s Indigenous Economic Development Strategy and aims to improve the professional employment prospects of Indigenous Australians. The project links Indigenous tertiary students undertaking a diploma,
advanced diploma or their first undergraduate degree with employers in a cadetship arrangement involving full-time study and paid work placements.

Cadetships enable Indigenous students to gain the professional qualifications and experience needed for a range of jobs in the private, public and community sectors and move into employment on completion of their studies.

Further information is available on the Indigenous Employment Line, 1802 102 or by visiting www.nicp.dewr.gov.au or emailing nicp@dewr.gov.au

Many employers specifically encourage applications from indigenous Australians, including:

ACT Department of Treasury
Airservices Australia
Alcan Inc
ANZ
Attorney-General’s Department
Audit Offi ce of NSW
AusAID
AUSENCO
Australian Bureau of Statistics
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare
Australian Prudential Regulation Authority
(APRA)
Brisbane City Council
Centrelink
Chevron
Connell Wagner
Defence Graduate Development Program
Defence Materiel Organisation
Defence Signals Directorate
Deloitte
Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and
Forestry
Department of Communications,
Information Technology and the Arts
Department of Community Services (NSW)
Department of Education Science and
Training
Department of Employment and Workplace
Relations
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
Department of Health & Ageing
Department of Immigration and
Multicultural Affairs
Department of Industry, Tourism and
Resources
Department of the Environment and
Heritage
Department of Transport and Regional
Services
Department of Veterans’ Affairs
Ford Motor Company
FRH GROUP PTY LTD
George Weston Foods Limited
GHD Limited
Goulburn-Murray Water
Honeywell
IBM
Insurance Australia Group
Lend Lease Corporation
Lion Nathan
MasterFoods Australia New Zealand
Media Sales Cadetship
Medicare Australia
Ministry of Economic Development
NAB
Northern Territory Treasury
Nova Corporation
NSW Department of Education and
Training
NSW Fire Brigades
Offi ce of Public Works and Services (OPWS),
NSW Department of Commerce
Orica Limited
Parsons Brinckerhoff
Pharmaceutical Sales Cadetship
Productivity Commission
Public Transport Authority of WA
Rio Tinto
Sales Cadetship
Schlumberger Oilfi eld Australia Pty Ltd
Seymour Whyte Constructions
Sinclair Knight Merz
Sydney Water
Tasmanian Department of Infrastructure,
Energy & Resources
The Treasury
Unilever Australasia
United Group Ltd
URS
Victorian WorkCover Authority
Westpac
Westpac (New Zealand)
Woodside Energy Ltd
WorleyParsons
Xstrata

Graduate Opportunities would like to thank both the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations and diversity@work -- Australia’s leading provider of consultancy services, resources and training for organisations engaged in strategic diversity management, workforce planning and cultural transformation – for providing content for this article. Recent winners at the 2006 Diversity@work Awards include IBM and ANZ – both featured in the organisation profile section of this publication.