Vacation Employment

The Vacation Employment Program allows current university students to gain paid work experience during semester breaks.

These are short-term entry-level roles to start building your resume before you graduate.

Apply now

Who can apply

To be eligible to apply, you should:

• be a current full-time or part-time tertiary education student at an Australian university
• provide evidence of enrolment in continuous study at an Australian university
• be an Australian citizen or permanent resident, or hold a visa with appropriate working rights.

Why apply

These are short-term entry-level roles to start building your resume before you graduate.

Key program features and benefits:

• equivalent of an annual starting salary of $62,069, and access to NT Government benefits
• start your career and build your network
• work with teams and projects in your field of study or area of interest
• connect with peers and learn from experts
• tackle real-world challenges with support and mentoring
• apply your knowledge and skills with meaningful outcomes.

This program also offers a pathway into the Graduate Development Program, or other opportunities with the NT Government.

Key 2026 dates

You can express your interest at any time, and get notified when applications are open.

Mid-year program

End-of-year program

How to apply

Your application should include:

• CV/Resume with 2 references from an Australian Organisation or Business
• One page summary (cover letter)
• Most recent Australian University results or transcript
• Previous qualifications (if any)
• Proof of enrolment into an Australian university before and after the program employment period e.g. transcript going into the next semester,  Confirmation of Enrolment, or supporting letter from the University confirming that your enrolment is continuing into the next semester.
• Visa holders must provide documents proving eligibility to work in Australia for the entire duration of the program
• If being assessed under special measures
  • statutory declaration of eligibility for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander residents – read more on the Special measures in recruitment | Office of the Commissioner for Public Employment
  • Confirmation of Aboriginality within the first 3 months of employment if selected under special measures and this evidence has not been included through the application process.

Application stages

1. Apply: Submit your application through the online form above.
2. Shortlist: If your application is found to meet the eligibility criteria, it will be progressed and matched to one or more NT Government agency vacancies. More than one agency may contact you if you have been shortlisted for a position.
3. Reference checks: if you are shortlisted, your referees will be contacted by the recruiting agency.
4. Interview: An interview will be scheduled if your application progresses to this stage.
5. Outcome: The Early Careers team will notify you of the outcome.

Learn more about the process