As part of the program we get a buddy, mentor (nm or gm), graduate journal, and graduate modules to progress to an aps 5 on completion of the program.
Bit of a mixed bag - we started out with about a week of very structured online training about the organisation in general. Once i got to my specific team it could be more sporadic, some things had proper training sessions, more things you had to figure out what it was you didn't know and then ask for help.
We received a lot of training at the beginning of our time in the agency which includes training for our service delivery placement. I believe the training for the mandatory trainings were good but were very long. The week of induction training was incredibly long and draining and i feel like it could have been split into two weeks. Service delivery training could be improved - i believe we were thrown in the deep end with our placement after starting the training on the wednesday we were put on the phones on the friday. I struggled during this time because there were situations where i had no idea what i should do - i asked for assistance from the floor walkers and after a while they told me they could not keep coming over to assist me. This would not have happened if we received more training including how to deliver bad news to customers, how to deal with customers who have been frauded and were very upset on the phones and how to inform a customer they need to go to a service centre to have access to their online services after being locked out. More training would have been beneficial instead of throwing us in the deep end and taking calls where no one had any idea on what to do in most situations. The mentor meetings are great - i am very lucky with my mentor who has organised agendas and meeting topics to help prepare me to become an aps5. It is a great part of the program which has helped improved my skills to help me move up the ranks.
Training platforms available for technical trainings. Capabilities trainings run by the graduate support team through out the program.
The training the agency provides, and the aps more broadly is fantastic. We have reflective practice sessions, supervision with our managers, and time allocated to training and development.
