By Comcare Talent Management and Entry Programs team
Comcare has taken a new approach to its graduate program in 2024 to design and pilot a tailored and fit for purpose program for its Work Health and Safety (WHS) Inspector graduates.
Comcare’s People Strategy team undertook a comprehensive review of its entry programs in July – August 2023. As part of this review, consultation occurred across the business to identify group specific entry program requirements.
Overview of the WHS Inspector graduate role
The WHS Inspector graduate role sits within Comcare’s Regulatory Operations Group (ROG) which is an effective national regulator that promotes continuous improvements in work health, safety and rehabilitation practices and monitoring and compliance with the law. The Inspectorate/Regional Operations team is the service delivery arm of ROG that administers the Work, Health and Safety Act 2011 (WHS Act) through a variety of prevention, compliance and enforcement activities.
WHS Inspectors undertake a range of WHS regulatory activities in accordance with relevant legislation, policy and procedures. Their work includes WHS related prevention programs and campaigns, stakeholder engagement and dispute resolution, providing information and advice, presentations, inspections and investigations across a wide range of industries and risk factors (physical and psychosocial).
Why a tailored program?
Comcare’s People Strategy team worked in collaboration with ROG to find ways to expand the talent pool to fill current and future WHS regulatory roles. Tapping into the graduate program provided an additional way to source talent and attract employees providing them a pathway to enter the regulatory industry. This program enables Comcare to grow enterprise critical skills and capabilities specific to business requirements, which includes having client focused employees supporting excellence in service provision and a continuous improvement mindset to support ROGs regulatory priorities and delivery of Comcare’s proactive regulatory work.
Overview of Comcare’s 2024 Regulatory Graduate Program
Comcare’s 2024 Regulatory Graduate Program includes the following:
- Comcare WHS Inspector graduates will undertake the 12-month APS Graduate Development Program along with our other graduates.
- WHS Inspector graduates will undertake the four-day Regulatory Practice Essentials Program run by the APS Academy. This program focuses on best practice regulation and intends to build foundational capability for officers performing a regulatory role.
- Graduates will be offered on-the-job training to shadow and assist WHS Inspectors and Investigators in undertaking workplace inspections, conducting criminal WHS investigations, delivering proactive information and advice activities.
- Upon successful completion of the 12-month program, graduates will progress to an APS Level 5 WHS Inspector role and go on to undertake a Diploma of Government in Workplace Inspections. Graduates will become fully competent and skilled WHS inspectors in a span of 24 to 36 months.
- As a further career pathway, graduates may progress to a Senior WHS Inspector role at the APS Level 6 when a vacancy becomes available and through a merit-based selection process.
