Work experience and support
Free office skills course and work placement in the ACT Government for unemployed multicultural Canberrans.
The Work Experience and Support Program supports multicultural Canberrans who are unemployed.
This program gives you a chance to:
- build your skills and knowledge
- experience an Australian workplace
- improve your job seeking confidence and competitiveness
- build a network of contacts in the ACT public service.
Applications open
Applications for round 1 have now closed.
Applications for Round 2 of 2025-26 open Tuesday 27 January 2026.
There are 2 rounds of the program per year.
About the program
The program runs full-time over 12 weeks. It involves:
- 4 weeks of free training in office skills at the Canberra Institute of Technology (CIT)
- 8 weeks of unpaid work experience in ACT Government.
If you complete the course, you will get a Certificate II in Workplace Skills from CIT.
You do not get paid during the program.
The program has helped some people get a job. But there is no guarantee you will get a job during or after the program.
Program dates
Round 2 of 2025-26 will open on Tuesday 27 January 2026.
Check if you can apply
To apply you must:
- come from a multicultural background
- be a resident of the Australian Capital Territory
- be able to attend the program on a full-time basis over the 12-weeks
- be unemployed, or not in meaningful employment, for more than 2 years.
You can apply if you are an Australian citizen, permanent resident or have a certain visa. You can apply if your visa allows you to do both of these things:
- work in Australia
- study at CIT as a domestic student.
Check your study eligibility at Visas for study at CIT.
Priority applications
We give priority to people who are:
- on a Temporary Protection visa or Safe Haven Enterprise visa
- holders of an ACT Services Access card
- able to speak and write English well.
If you are not eligible for this program, you can get help to find employment from the Multicultural Employment Service.
Application assessment process
A panel of people will assess the applications after the closing date.
If your application is shortlisted, they will invite you to an interview.
If you are successful at interview, they will tell you.
If you are unsuccessful, you will be told once the process is complete.
Contact us
You can contact Multicultural ACT for help or advice.
- Call the Work Experience Support Program on 02 6207 0150
- Email ma@act.gov.au