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Frequently Asked Questions
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Each intake commences with a Summer School in late November or early December at the University of Canberra. You study full-time until mid-February of the following year and complete three subjects. You then work full-time for the employer and complete one subject per semester online during the year. Over three years, you do three Summer Schools and in the last semester you do two subjects online making a total of 16 subjects and three years work experience.
You are likely to be employed on an annual, renewable contract of employment. In addition to the normal conditions of employment, the employer is required to pay your university fees and to provide time off for you to attend the Summer Schools.
If you prove yourself after the three years, your employer will want you to stay on and will offer a permanent position. Some employers refer to this as your Return of Service obligation, the idea being that you stay for a further two years after graduation so the employer is able to recoup the investment they have made in you. After you graduate, you will be on normal salary scales.
The employer pays university fees for the 16 subjects in the degree program and there is no HECS on those subjects. The employer gives you time off to attend Summer School and will pay for your travel to Summer School and for accommodation, which is arranged by GOL. You are responsible for your textbooks and for your own accommodation during the year.
To enter the program, you need to have the equivalent of the first year of an IT degree. The specific mix of subjects varies with the university attended, or other courses taken. A typical eight unit base for this program would look something like:
- Computer Systems Organisation and Architecture
- Conceptual Modelling
- Discrete Mathematics
- Data Structures and Algorithms
- Programming I
- Programming II
- Systems Analysis; and
- Interpersonal and written communication
The University of Canberra will only accept you for entry to the degree program if you have at least a credit average in your previous or current studies.
Students or graduates of the Diploma of Information Technology (Software Development) from TAFE and private institutions have been successful in previous years and are encouraged to apply. Certificate IV is not accepted.
No, because the degree is highly specialised and you must complete the 16 subjects in the curriculum of the BIT (Mainframe Computing).
No, because the University of Canberra is the only university through which GOL conducts the traineeship. If you want to do this traineeship, you must transfer to the University of Canberra and complete the BIT (Mainframe Computing).
For traineeships with the Australian Public Service, you must be an Australian Citizen. Private sector employers will accept Permanent Residents of Australia or New Zealand Citizens and may also accept candidates on Bridging Visas. However, you must be a Permanent Resident or have a Bridging Visa at the time of application. Candidates with Student Visas cannot be accepted.
That is not determined by GOL and it depends on the employer. In general, it is between $27,500 and $32,000 per annum with all of the normal provisions for annual leave and sick leave. The Australian Public Service usually pays on age scales with the top scale at age 21 being about $32,000 per annum depending on the Department.
The location of work depends on the employer. However the opportunities in mainframe IT are in Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra. Occasionally, positions arise in Perth, Brisbane and Adelaide but you should not assume those locations will become available. Some employers will hire for positions in the one city, such as Melbourne, for the duration of the traineeship. Other employers may require you to move between locations in Australia and possibly overseas. You definitely increase your chances of a traineeship if you are prepared to relocate.
If you are successful at the interview, you will be told where the jobs are located for that employer. If what you are offered is not where you currently live and you are not willing to relocate, the chances are you will not be offered the traineeship. The employers are not willing to entertain the idea of remote working.
The actual work you do depends on the specific requirements of the employer, but in general, the work involves application development or system support in a large, commercial environment. You will likely be working directly on the mainframe or on applications that have to integrate with mainframe systems. However, there are employers who use the trainee program to employee trainees on jobs that lean more to infrastructure or product support. Either way, the experience will be meaningful and will definitely establish your career in IT.
No, the BIT (Mainframe Computing) is a fixed program of study undertaken by all trainees.
While the trainee offer is very attractive, it has to be taken seriously. If you decide not to continue then, depending on the circumstances, the employer may expect you to repay the cost of university fees. This is explained in the agreement with GOL you have to sign before you can begin the traineeship. Therefore, please make sure you are prepared to commit for a minimum of three years with the employer before you accept the job offer.
If you leave the BIT (Mainframe Computing) program, any subjects you have completed are treated like any other university subjects. The university you are transferring to will decide whether to allow some or all of your subjects based on the particular requirements of the degree to which you transfer.
GOL will arrange the interview with the employer and they will call you to arrange a time and place. The first interview may be by phone followed by a face-to-face interview if you are successful.
Do as much research as possible through the GOL site and the employer’s website. The emphasis is less on technical questions because the employer will recognise your competence if you have been accepted by the University of Canberra. They are more concerned about whether you will fit into the organisation so be prepared to talk about your ability to contribute to the team. Moreover, be enthusiastic and make it clear that you actually want to work in IT and you definitely want the position. Remember, the employers are all commercial organisations and they will note your appearance so make sure you look like you could fit into a corporate environment.
GOL will not discuss numbers of applicants, but it is very competitive. However, you should be successful if you have good grades, if you interview well, and if you actually want to work and study.
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