Read our graduate profiles
Who better to give you an idea of what the Graduate Development Program at Comcare is like than hearing it directly from our graduates:
2009 Graduates
2008 Graduates
Name: Jane Bloomfield
Permanent Placement: Assurance Branch - Self Insurance Section
Rotation Placement: Assurance Branch - OHS Investigations Section - QLD
University Attended: University of Canberra
Qualification Attained: Bachelor of Management
Career History
Prior to joining Comcare I worked as a Trainer and Class Manager for a Canberra youth circus and as a support worker in a youth refuge. I also held various retail positions throughout my university life and was heavily involved with the University’s Law Society. I had a brief contract with the Department of Health and Ageing over summer before starting with Comcare.
Jane's Graduate Experience
I joined Comcare in March 2009 and following a two week induction in the Canberra office relocated to Brisbane for my first six month rotation. Comcare supported me in my move, providing temporary accommodation in Brisbane, uplift of my things, and support while finding a place to live. I found the six month relocation to be a fantastic opportunity to experience life in another city and my colleagues in the Brisbane office helped me to feel at home.
I have greatly enjoyed both of my rotations and find the knowledge I gained from working in another area and in a regional office to be a great asset. While working with the OHS Investigations Section I gained an understanding of investigation principles and occupational health and safety regulation as well as gaining experience in reporting and local policy.
My second rotation in Self Insurance is exposing me to a broad range of activities including auditing, account management, governance, project work and providing advice to the Commission.
The training provided as part of the graduate program has been comprehensive and increased my skill base, as well as my knowledge of the APS. Graduate training in 2009 was provided in week long blocks which also provided an opportunity to bond with the other graduates.
Project work is a feature of the program and has allowed me the opportunity to, in a team, manage a project under the direction of a sponsor and with the assistance of a project
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Name: Katrina Patane
Permanent Placement: Human Resources Section, Corporate Services
Rotation Placement: Governance & Strategic Planning, Corporate Services
University Attended: Queensland University of Technology
Qualification Attained: Bachelor of Business (Major in Human Resource Management)
Career History:
Before starting the graduate program at Comcare I was employed in an English language school assisting international students to find casual or part time employment. As part of my role I helped students practice their English, write their resume and prepare for job interviews.
Other previous jobs included working at a video store, checkout assistant at a supermarket and coaching junior soccer.
Katrina's Graduate Experience:
I relocated from Brisbane to Canberra in February 2009 to start the graduate program in March. Comcare was extremely supportive with this transition, offering temporary accommodation, covering all moving costs and providing information about rental accommodation and living in Canberra. There are also lots of friendly people that are always willing to provide advice. I was excited about moving to Canberra - exploring a new place and meeting new people. Canberra has been a great city for me to experience living away from home for the first time because it is small, friendly and there are lots of activities and sports to get involved in. The graduate program provides an instant social network with other many other graduates, both from Canberra and interstate. This year I have enjoyed social sport, a trip to the snow, a shopping trip to Melbourne and numerous adventures in Sydney with fellow Comcare graduates.
The Learning and Development offered to all graduates is a well planned and thought-out program that we attend, in blocks, throughout the year. The training covers a wide range of topics which assist us to complete our challenging day to day work and develop a knowledge base for our development.
In addition to our everyday tasks, Comcare provides all graduates the opportunity to complete projects on pressing issues affecting the agency. With the support of a project coach and two executive project sponsors we work in small teams for a period of nine months and then present our report, findings and recommendations to the Comcare board of Executives. From day one Comcare Executives have shown their commitment to the graduate projects and the Deputy CEO regularly makes himself available to discuss our progress. The projects are extremely challenging and offer the opportunity for us to develop project management skills, demonstrate our research ability as well as consult widely within Comcare and externally with other government departments.
Comcare provides remarkable opportunities to every graduate in terms of development, exposure and support. In addition to the structured development program and graduate projects, we have access to a mentor to provide valuable career advice, insight and guidance. We have also enjoyed the opportunity to attend various events for graduates across the public service, a three day national conference and a visit to Parliament House.
Working at Comcare really is great and from the very start you can see all the hard work behind the program designed to develop graduates into well-rounded, experienced and knowledgeable employees. There is always some way to be involved in the Comcare community such as health challenges, networking functions, lunch time and after work sporting teams as well as regular seminars to support the wellbeing of all employees. Comcare cares about their employees and Comcare cares about their graduate program!
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Name: Pamela Garabed
Permanent Placement – Legal Services Branch
Rotation Placement – Asbestos Legal Section, Administrative Appeals Section
University Attended – Griffith University
Qualification Attained – Bachelor of Laws/International Business
Career History
While studying, I worked for Information Services at Griffith University, in house legal for Arrow Energy, a mining and resources company based in Brisbane and was a volunteer caseworker at the Refugee and Immigration Legal Service.
Pamela's Graduate Experience
I moved to Canberra from the Gold Coast to commence the graduate program in March 2009. It was quite daunting as I had never been to Canberra and didn’t know what I was setting myself up for. It turned out to be a relatively smooth experience with the help of Comcare, who put all of the graduates in contact prior to the move. I found this very beneficial as I managed to meet a number of the grads before we began work, two of which are now my housemates. Comcare also provided temporary accommodation while we made permanent arrangements and was very generous in covering moving expenses and providing help securing a rental property.
The graduate program is wholly focussed on professional development and enables us to have access to a wide range of training opportunities. During our corporate induction we were inundated with information that helped us to understand Comcare’s business and attitude to workplace health and safety regulation. We periodically have one week training blocks throughout the program that provide training on a wide range of topics, from honing our communication, interpersonal and future management skills to developing an understanding of what it means to work in the public service.
The training blocks are also centred on project management as the grads are required to complete a corporate project to present to the executive at the end of the program. The project gives grads the opportunity to work on providing recommendations on a timely and significant aspect of Comcare’s business. It has been a great opportunity to work closely with members of the executive while getting to know a range of people throughout Comcare. My project group has also been lucky enough to work with other Commonwealth agencies such as Defence and the Australian Tax Office. The experience has provided invaluable networking and interpersonal development opportunities.
I am employed as a legal graduate and have undertaken both of my rotations within the Legal Services Branch. I have thoroughly enjoyed these rotations as they have given me broad experience in two very different practice areas. I have also been very lucky to have had access to meaningful legal work from the outset and have been given hands on experience in litigation and Administrative Appeals Tribunal matters. I have been overwhelmed by the confidence my supervisors and directors have shown in my ability and have found them to be very supportive of my professional development. Comcare is also paying for me to complete my Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice so that I may be admitted and have been very accommodating in allowing me time to complete my study requirements.
I have found Comcare to be a very supportive employer. Each graduate has a mentor, a senior manager that we regularly catch up with and who provides professional guidance. My mentor has made my transition into professional life a lot less daunting and has always been available when I’ve needed advice. We are also given a buddy, a graduate from the previous year who helps to show us the ropes. It has been great to have someone who has ‘been there’ to talk to and ensure that you attend all of the important events, such as happy hour. Overall I have found that everyone I work with at Comcare have been very welcoming and generous with their time and expertise.
I recommend to anyone contemplating a career in the Commonwealth to consider joining a graduate program as the support of other graduates and the instant social network the program provides has made the adjustment to life in Canberra a lot less daunting. Comcare’s graduate program has offered me access to excellent professional opportunities, meaningful and diverse work and great people to work with.
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Name: Aaron Simpkins
Permanent Placement: Claims Services
Rotational Placement: SRC Policy
University: Charles Sturt University – Wagga
Qualification: Double Degree B. Social Science (Psychology)/ B. Business (Business Management)
Career History
Before commencing at Comcare, I have had a wide range of jobs. This has included working at the local supermarket whilst in high school and university, working in a fruit packing shed both sorting the fruit and loading crates for shipment, and as bar staff for one of the local pubs.
Aaron's Graduate Experience
I moved to Canberra from Wagga in March to commence my position at Comcare. As I had moved previously to attend uni, I was already used to moving, however, this didn’t make the task any less daunting. I was originally going to be placed in the Sydney office for the first six months, however, due to a last minute change of plans caused by unexpected circumstances, I was asked to remain in Canberra instead of going to Sydney. Although I was happy to oblige the change, I became nervous about having to find accommodation. In this regard, HR was invaluable; as they paid for all my moving expenses, as well as finding temporary accommodation close to work whilst I was looking for a place to live.
I came into Comcare with a very limited knowledge of OHS, and almost no knowledge of workers’ compensation. However, after a comprehensive two week induction period, I thought I knew every intimate detail of Comcare and the public service. However, I found that I would continue learning throughout the year, and that there are plenty of people who are happy and willing to help whenever I wasn’t sure of something. The graduate program runs a comprehensive training program, with blocks of training scheduled throughout the year, which allows us to branch out, and experience things that I wouldn’t have had exposure to if not for the graduate program.
As I am one of only 14 graduates, I have found that we have become a very close-knit group, and I have found this has been extremely helpful in making contacts outside my immediate work-group. Comcare has a friendly attitude, and almost everyone that you talk to is willing to lend a hand if you require one.
Through the graduate program, I was also assigned a ‘mentor’, who is a senior member of staff (Director and higher) who I can turn to if I have any problem, comments, or just feel like a chat. This has been great, as it allows for an outlet when you don’t want to discuss an issue with a member of your team (this doesn’t happen often, but it is good to have, just in case).
Being a country boy at heart, I found settling in to Canberra to be rather easy, as it doesn’t have that ‘big city’ feel. And for those that like the city, Sydney is only a couple of hours down the road!
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Name: Matthew Osborn
Permanent Placement: Assurance Branch (Investigations and Enforcement)Rotation Placement: Research & Policy (Research & Analysis)
University Attended: University of Adelaide
Qualifications: Bachelor of Arts in English (Hons)
Career History
I joined Comcare in March 2008. Previously, I was a manager with the University of Adelaide’s book shop, Unibooks. I have also contributed to Adelaide street press, a paper called On Dit, as music and film sub-editor.
Matt’s Graduate Experience
I joined Comcare as a graduate in March 2008, moving from Adelaide to Canberra with limited knowledge of occupational health and safety but with a great sense of excitement. My previous experience in the workforce had exposed me to workplace health and safety issues, but how this was regulated in the Commonwealth and furthermore, how I could contribute to this field was something of a mystery.
As one of seventeen graduates, I was immediately reassured that everyone else seemed just as unfamiliar with OHS and workers’ compensation as I was. But I knew that was all about to change. Our first week was a huge learning curve, being introduced to legislation, new concepts and the responsibilities of public service.
I was placed in a small team that performed research on key issues within OHS, analysing trends and providing general support to the commission that oversees Comcare’s business. Every day I was presented with new challenges and I enjoyed the diversity within this team.
More training and several interstate trips followed over the following months, but I constantly found that my graduate peers, the members of my team and Comcare generally were all extraordinarily supportive of me during this initial period of development. The network of graduates was also crucial in easing my transition to Canberra, professionally and socially, and good friendships were quickly made.
Even though I was initially uncertain what I could bring to Comcare from my Honours degree in English, I found that my supervisor and team mates were able to recognise and utilise my strengths, writing and research, as well as encourage me as I sought to develop in the areas that I was less familiar with, such as data analysis and project management.
During my time in Canberra, significant personal circumstances meant that I needed to return to Adelaide to be with my family. As a relatively new employee to Comcare, I was unsure whether I would be able to return home earlier than planned but nevertheless, I spoke to my mentor about the issue. Through the exceptional support that my mentor and Human Resources provided, a flexible arrangement was made where I could continue working for my current team remotely from the Adelaide office. The way that this was handled was proof to me that I had made the right decision in joining Comcare. The personal feel of a relatively smaller agency, coupled with their commitment to providing a healthy work life balance made a stressful and difficult time of my life so much easier, for which I remain thankful.
The flexibility of my work, the opportunities to develop and progress, and the diversity of my day to day responsibilities are among the benefits that have come from joining Comcare
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Name: Andrew Corradin
Permanent Placement: Legal Services BranchRotation Placement: OHS Legal Section, Legal Advisings Section, Australian Government Asbestos Litigation Unit
University Attended: Macquarie University
Qualifications: Bachelor of Arts/Laws
Career History
Before commencing work at Comcare I worked full-time at a financial services company specialising in self-managed superannuation funds. While at uni I worked casually at a sports store, petrol station and printing press.
Andrew’s Graduate Experience
I joined the graduate program at Comcare because I was interested in the Commonwealth public sector and the training and opportunities that would arise as a result. Comcare seemed an interesting place to work and offered an attractive package of benefits for graduates. Given the ever expanding emphasis on occupational health and safety in the community, I believed Comcare was an organisation that would provide a great entry point into the public service.
My three graduate rotations have all been within the Legal Services Branch. The three teams I have worked in have engaged in diverse areas of work, from assisting regional investigators with enforcement action, advising on privacy issues of workers compensation claimants and dealing with Commonwealth liabilities regarding asbestos exposure. The lawyers in the branch have all been very supportive and always happy to answer my questions.
The graduates in the program have formed a strong social network. One of the training weeks was held in Melbourne, giving those of us based in Canberra the opportunity to travel like our regionally based compatriots. Comcare has enabled the graduate group to meet numerous directors, general managers and the CEO at a number of social functions, such as dinner and executive drinks. Comcare generally has a happy hour once a month which the graduates have participated in ‘enthusiastically’.
Comcare is also putting me through my Graduate Diploma of Legal Practice through the Australian National University. In return I am required to give Comcare another year of faithful service beyond the graduate year, a common practice for such arrangements!
The graduate training weeks have been informative and have allowed me to develop my skills in a number of areas. They also serve as a good opportunity to catch up with the other graduates and share in their experiences of Comcare to date. It is clear that at Comcare, emphasis is placed on continual development, not just for graduates but for all employees.
While moving from Sydney to Canberra appeared daunting at first, especially not knowing anyone, I have quickly settled into life in the nation’s capital. While it is by no means as lively and bustling as Sydney, the people I have met through the graduate program and other employees within Comcare have made my time here an enjoyable one. And if the need arises, Sydney is not so far away that you can’t make the drive for the weekend.
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Name: Elizabeth Derrett
Permanent Placement: Assurance Branch (Investigations & Enforcement)Rotation Placement: Research & Policy Branch (SRC Policy)
University Attended: Unversity of Western Sydney
Qualifications: Bachelor of Business (Management)
Career History
Before commencing work with Comcare in March 2008, I had been employed in a variety of jobs. During my last year of university I gained employment as a Teacher’s Aide for a local primary school, where I assisted in teaching basic literacy for children with learning disabilities. I was also employed part-time as a food and beverage attendant for a Leagues Club, which included roles in catering, waitressing and gaming. I have also worked casually as a pharmacy assistant.
Elizabeth’s Graduate Experience
I moved to Canberra from Sydney in March to commence my position as a graduate with Comcare. During this time I was nervous about what to anticipate from the program as well as what residing in Canberra would be like. My moving experience was made easier by HR through their assistance in helping me find a place to live, whilst offering temporary accommodation in which I could take up if I was unable to find a place before starting.
In addition, Comcare paid for all my relocation expenses and assisted in my transition to Canberra through offering me the graduate starting package. This included an information booklet which outlined a list of things to do in Canberra, public transport information, housing and rental advice, as well as the expected costs associated with living in Canberra. I found this a really useful tool which supported me in my first few weeks prior to moving, as my knowledge of what to expect was limited.
One of the highlights about the program has been the six month rotations. This has allowed me to work in two different areas of Comcare. Through this experience I have gained a wider perspective of the roles Comcare performs in relation to OHS and worker’s compensation. Upon being involved in the graduate program I have been given the opportunity to partake in a range of training workshops both on and off the job.
Comcare is an extremely supportive employer. I would highly recommend them as they have afforded me a wonderful opportunity as a new graduate starting my career. For those who are interested in working within a diverse environment, with a range of flexibility and working prospects, Comcare has this to offer and more.
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