Kei te Kūao tonu i runga i tō ara mahi | Early in your career | Te Kawa Mataaho Public Service Commission

We want people to have a strong start in our Public Service, from their first day.

The Public Service has roles in every sector within New Zealand, and in every community.

If you are starting in the Public Service, part-time, full time, permanently or casually you can expect us to:

value your experiences, ideas and unique spirit of service
celebrate the diversity of our workforces and include your thinking to help us to make a meaningful difference to Aotearoa New Zealand
expose you to a range of opportunities which can inform your future choices of employment or specialisation
support you to be connected through experiences across sectors, professions and agencies.

He āhuatanga hei tīmatanga mōu i runga i tō ara mahi ratonga tūmatanui | Opportunities to kick-start your Public Service career

Public Service Induction

Having a strong start as a public servant from your first day is important. Our Public Service induction module is designed to help you to understand the wider Public Service and how we work together to make the greatest positive difference to Aotearoa New Zealand.

Te Puna Huihuinga Kaimahi | Employee Led Networks

Employee Led Networks

Employee Led Networks are voluntary groups of like-minded people from Public Sector agencies around New Zealand that come together with common interests. They help you connect, share ideas and provide support to help you reach your potential.

With a range of objectives, the networks help to foster communities and a culture of inclusion, acceptance and mutual respect. Networks play an important part in bringing our workforce together in a more joined-up way.

Westpac New Zealand Spirit of Service Scholarship

Westpac

Each year, Te Kawa Mataaho Public Service Commission, in tandem with Westpac New Zealand, offers the opportunity for an early-in-career, high-potential future Public Service leader to gain an internationally recognised Master of Public Policy (MPP) from Oxford University’s Blavatnik School of Government (BSG).

Applications for the scholarship are accepted from Public Service employees who are sponsored by their home agency. Each December we announce the scholarships that are available for the following year, with applications expected in January.

Key dates for the 2021/22 programme:

Applications to attend the Blavatnik School of Government MPP close on 8 January 2021 (see this link for how to apply)
Applications for the Westpac New Zealand Spirit of Service Scholarship close on 29 January 2021 – sent to The Commission

Here are useful links:

Brochure for more information on the Westpac NZ Spirit of Service Scholarship to attend the BSG MPP (90 KB | PDF)
Application form for the Scholarship (89 KB | DOCX)

Ngā kaupapa tauira | Internships

Below we’ve provided links to the summer internships that are available across our Public Service, with a range of different areas of focus, intake timeframes and application processes. Internships can provide successful applicants with:

exposure to a range of options to inform future choices about your employment or specialisation within our Public Service
the ability to work across sectors, professions and agencies
exposure to a range of diverse role models.

If you identify with Māori and Pasifika

Tupu Tai – Pasifika Public Sector Summer Internship Programme coordinated by MBIE to provide opportunities for Pacific students to work in public policy across our Public Service
Manatū Aorere – New Zealand Foreign Affairs and Trade offers internships for tauira Māori

If you want experience within a specific agency

Hīkina Whakatutuki – Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment
Te Papa Atawhai – Department of Conservation
Te Tai Ōhanga – The Treasury to hone your research and analytical skills
Te Tāhuhu o te Mātauranga - Ministry of Education

If you want to develop your professional capabilities

Legal Profession for Public Service legal internships (the Government Legal Network is hosted by the Crown Law Office)
Health and Safety for Public Service health and safety internships (hosted by the Ministry for Primary Industries)
Analytics and Research students with a strong interest in government research and evaluation who have a passion for data and analytics

Ngā kaupapa tāura | Graduate Programmes

If you have a tertiary qualification, we offer a variety of programmes to help kick-start your career in our Public Service. Below we provide Agency links to programmes which may provide:

early in career exposure to a range of professions, functions and areas within an agency like HR, Policy, Finance, Commerce, etc.
access to staff networks and senior officials
formal training as well as on-the-job learning opportunities designed to challenge and stretch you
a supportive development programme to provide you with feedback and guidance to help you progress
a competitive salary
promotional opportunities.

Policy graduate programmes	Hīkina Whakatutuki – Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment for a career in policy Ministry of Housing and Urban Development for a career in policy Manatū Aorere – New Zealand Foreign Affairs and Trade for a career in foreign policy Te Manatū Whakahiato Ora – Ministry of Social Development for a career in social policy Te Tai Ōhanga – The Treasury for graduate analysts, within three streams: capital and commercial; macroeconomist; and Policy, Performance and Advisory (summer and winter cohorts) Te Tāhuhu o te Mātauranga - Ministry of Education has an extensive policy community with teams, covering areas of education from Pacific Education, Early Childhood, Māori Education, Tertiary, Learning Support, Infrastructure and International to name just a few. The Ethnic Communities Graduate Programme provides a meaningful first employment opportunity in the public sector for skilled graduates from ethnic communities. https://www.ethniccommunities.govt.nz/our-programmes/ethnic-communities-graduate-programme/
IT graduate programmes	Te Manatū Whakahiato Ora – Ministry of Social Development for an IT career Kaupapa Paetahi Matihiko Pūmanawa – GovtTechTalent for graduates wanting to work in the digital space.
Finance	Te Tari Taiwhenua – Department of Internal Affairs for graduates seeking finance careers (Public Sector Finance Graduate Programme)
Legal	Te Tari Ture o te Karauna – Crown Law Office for law graduate opportunities through the Government Legal Network
Procurement	New Zealand Government Procurement and Property for graduates from any discipline seeking a career in procurement. This is a public sector wide programme with rotations across a range of partner agencies.
Primary industries	Manatū Ahu Matua – Ministry for Primary Industries offers a graduate programme for work in areas such as biosecurity, forestry, fisheries, food, response, regulation, policy. MPI also run a programme targeted at those who have connections with Māori and Pacific communities.

He akoranga kaiārahi | Learning to be a leader

To improve outcomes for New Zealanders we need strong agency and system leaders who can work together. The Leadership Development Centre supports Public Service leaders to grow and build their careers.

Māori emerging leaders development programme

A Te Ao Māori-based leaders programme for Māori early in their Public Service career, delivered in partnership with Māori leaders, is part of our strategy for strengthening the Māori Crown relationship and enabling better outcomes for Māori.

The 12-month programme places agency nominated, early-in-career Māori public servants from across our Public Service into a co-mentor relationship with Public Service Chief Executives or senior leaders.

More details on this programme will be released soon.

Ngā mematanga rōpū ngaio | Professional memberships

Institute of Public Administration New Zealand

IPANZ

If you are new to our Public Service join IPANZ - a New Professionals membership might be for you. Most government agencies are corporate IPANZ members, or you can also become an individual member. Members can access:

professional development and social events in Wellington and Auckland
networking opportunities across Public Sector and related agencies
career development including mentoring.

For inquiries email at leadershipandtalent@publicservice.govt.nz