Programs empower future public sector leaders

Since 2022, we’ve proudly partnered with the South Australian Government Department of Treasury and Finance (DTF) to deliver two impactful professional development programs: the Graduate Development Program (GDP) and the Finance Officer Program (FOP). 

Designed to equip early and mid-career public servants with critical technical and professional skills, these nine-month programs focus on blending academic expertise with real-world public sector experience.

Laying the foundations: Graduate Development Program and Finance Officer Program (2022–2024)

From 2022 to 2024, we worked in close collaboration with DTF to develop the GDP and FOP. 

The GDP aimed to equip early-career professionals with a comprehensive set of skills essential for success in the public sector, including strategic networking, political intelligence, team effectiveness, influential communication, Microsoft Excel, government writing, and presentation skills.

The FOP supported existing finance officers to build their understanding of the unique requirements of the public sector. It provided targeted training in budgeting, Treasurers’ Instructions, government communication, parliamentary processes, transactional accounting, financial reporting, and Excel modelling.

Approximately 75 per cent of the content was designed and delivered by us, with the remaining 25 per cent provided by internal public sector stakeholders, enabling a powerful fusion of academic and practitioner-led learning.

“This meant participants got the best of both worlds – academic theory, and on-the-ground knowledge that’s really relevant to their role to support them in their development” Nicolle Cantone, Program Director at DTF said.

A post-program survey completed by participants of the 2024 GDP and FOP showed that: 

• 87 per cent of participants agreed the program was a worthwhile investment of their time; and 
• 84 per cent believed the program had enhanced their career capability.

Participant feedback reflected the transformational value of the training:

“I have continued to use many of the skills I learned during the program, especially in structured writing and decision-making frameworks. It’s been transformative for my role in government.”

“The program was enriching and incredibly useful. I gained a much clearer understanding of government operations and improved my ability to communicate effectively with diverse teams.”

Expanding the partnership: Graduate Development Program and Treasury Development Program (2024-2027)

We were pleased to be re-awarded the contract in late 2024 to deliver an evolved suite of programs — the Graduate Development Program (GDP) and a newly named Treasury Development Program (TDP) — through to 2027.

Two GDP cohorts and one TDP cohort launched in February 2025, with approximately 65 participants enrolled across the programs.

“We’ve changed the nature of the programs this year to make sure they’re even more up-to-date and relevant to our participants” Nicolle said.

“What we want is for graduates to complete the GDP and feel supported — they can ask questions and get expertise from both Professional and Continuing Education and our internal stakeholders — so they can set themselves up for success.”

The TDP now targets participants already working in in the public sector, providing opportunities to deepen knowledge and broaden perspectives. 

“The TDP is about supporting individuals progressing through their career by compounding and crystallising concepts, expanding their network, and learning about the whole-of-government perspective,” Nicolle said.

The Programs don’t just benefit participants – they also build capability and support retention efforts for the public sector itself. 

“One of the main benefits of these programs, the GDP in particular, is having a high-quality pool of professionals upskilling themselves and eventually moving into leadership positions” Nicolle said. 

“The end goal is that our graduates stay in the public sector.”

Collaboration credited as the key to success

According to Nicolle, the collaborative approach and easy working relationship fostered between Professional and Continuing Education and DTF has been the key to success for the programs.

“Our relationship with Professional and Continuing Education has been easy from a collaborative perspective, as well in our day-to-day dealings,” she said.

We found it beneficial undertaking a process of co-collaboration with the team from Professional and Continuing Education, who have been incredibly engaged and have a strong desire to collaborate to make sure the participants get the best outcomes from the content delivered.Nicolle Cantone

“From a practical perspective, we love the fact that there’s an administrative team that sits behind the program which deal with the day-to-day functions involved in administering the program.

With strong feedback and proven impact, we look forward to continuing to work with Nicolle and her team over the next few years, to empower the public sectors leaders of tomorrow.

We only see our relationship with Professional and Continuing Education growing in the future.Nicolle Cantone

“We’ve had great feedback from our own graduates and staff members about the opportunity to be educated, be invested in and to set themselves up for success moving forward.”