People with disability - Department of Agriculture

The Department of Agriculture and Water Resources aims to be an inclusive workplace with a diverse workforce. We work hard to attract, recruit and retain people with disability.

We support all employees with disability by being a gold member of the Australian Network on Disability (AND). AND is a not-for-profit organisation that helps its members and clients to become more confident and better prepared to welcome people with disability as employees, customers and suppliers.

The department offers specialised support to supervisors of people with disability to help them understand their responsibilities, adjust the workplace and remove barriers for their employees.

Valuing diversity in our workplace is everyone’s responsibility. The department’s Diversity strategy 2015–18 demonstrates our commitment to building an inclusive workplace that encourages and promotes diversity.

Stepping Into program

We participate in AND's Stepping Into program for university students. This annual internship provides paid work experience at the APS 1 level to university students with disability. The internship period is 152 hours over 6 weeks during both the summer and winter academic holiday periods. Stepping Into allows interns to showcase their skills and knowledge in a field they are studying and develop an understanding of the department and the Australian Public Service.

Interns bring great drive and enrich the department as an inclusive and productive workplace. Some of these interns find employment with the department after successful completion of their internship and continue to make a great contribution to the department.

How to apply

See AND’s Stepping Into program for information about how to apply for a paid internship with our department.

What others say about Stepping Into

Comment from a supervisor:

"The intern was easy to have involved in our work and provided us with information we can use in the future. He had great Excel skills, which made the match perfect for what I was looking for."

Comment from an intern:

"Overall, I was extremely impressed with my experience in the program, from beginning to end. I have taken a lot from my placement."