Project/Policy Officer, Schools Teaching, Students and Digital Education Revolution Group.
I previously worked in primary schools in Canberra for about seven years. I enjoyed working with the students, especially the Indigenous students, and it was good to be part of the children’s development. At that time I was doing a Bachelor of Teaching at the University of Western Sydney as a mature-aged student. I decided it was time for a change, wanted to join the public service so I joined DEST as an Indigenous graduate with a Bachelor of Education from the Australian Catholic University.
The Graduate Program gave me a good overview of what the public service is about and offered great opportunities for training and professional development. One of the highlights was going to Parliament House, listening to Question Time and talking to departmental liaison officers. While I miss working hands on and being able to talk to the kids, coming in here gave me an understanding of how the federal government assists with education, especially for Indigenous students.
The Graduate Program is really good for anyone new to the public service. It offered workshops that introduced me to the work being done in the public service and the opportunity to spend a few months in other areas in the department through rotations—a very valuable experience. I worked in the Indigenous programs area and the maths and science program area. I also enjoyed the career-planning workshops I attended with DEST grads and the APS Indigenous grads. I learnt a lot from both and gave me the opportunity to think about my future career.
I have the opportunity to build on my past experiences, working in the classroom, to being involved in the department’s education programs for Indigenous students and for all students.