Stepping Up: A Case Study in Public Sector Graduate Talent Development
“Early-career professionals highly value mentorship and structured development programmes. Structured training and development featured in the top five reasons why a graduate would select one employer over another.
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CLIENT BACKGROUND
A government organisation sought to enhance the development of early-career professionals by equipping them with essential skills in communication, leadership, and self-awareness.
The Talent Solutions Student Pulse 2024 survey found that early-career professionals highly value mentorship and structured development programmes. Structured training and development featured in the top five reasons why a graduate would select one employer over another.
Recognising the need for structured learning experiences, the organisation aimed to foster a strong sense of community among participants while promoting personal and professional growth.
OPPORTUNITY
The organisation identified an opportunity to partner with an expert in early-career professional development, to create a dynamic development programme tailored to emerging government professionals. The goal was to build foundational skills in leadership, communication, and personal development while encouraging meaningful peer engagement. By integrating interactive sessions, they aimed to ensure participants could apply insights to their work environments effectively.
SOLUTION
Talent Solutions led the design of a multi-session development programme, covering key topics in three structured workshops:
Session 1: Understanding personal strengths and goal-setting strategies.
Session 2: The importance of feedback, appreciation, and recognition in the workplace.
Session 3: Effective communication and leadership development.
Participants engaged in group discussions, peer learning activities, and strengths-based assessments, including personality profiling, to enhance self-awareness and interpersonal effectiveness.
RESULTS AND OUTCOMES
The programme fostered an engaging learning environment, with participants arriving prepared and actively contributing to discussions.
Key outcomes included:
Strong appreciation for group discussions, with participants valuing the opportunity to learn from and collaborate with peers.
High engagement with the strengths and personality sessions, which provided valuable insights into communication styles and workplace dynamics.
Positive feedback from participants, including remarks such as:
"My favourite part of the session was being able to collaborate with other participants who have the same communication style as I do. I also enjoyed being able to learn more about other participants and their communication style/preferences."
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
The early careers development program successfully equipped participants with key skills to enter the workforce, reinforced a sense of community, and fostered ongoing professional growth.
By investing in structured early-career development, government organisations can cultivate future leaders who are confident, skilled, and ready to contribute meaningfully to public service.
By partnering with Talent Solutions, a specialist in early-career development, organisations gain access to expert insights and trained facilitators who create the ideal conditions for experiential learning. This investment enhances the experience for managers overseeing graduate professionals and strengthens an organisation’s ability to attract and retain early-career talent committed to lifelong learning.
