Traineeships are awarded through a competitive merit selection process. Successful applicants are offered temporary full-time employment as a Trainee Public Health Officer for a three-year period.
Trainee Public Health Officers are temporary full-time employees of the NSW Ministry of Health, appointed under Section 43 (1) (b) of the Government Sector Employment Act 2013. Appointments are renewable annually, subject to satisfactory performance.
Trainee Public Health Officers from non-medical backgrounds are paid in the range $97,152 to $107,541 per annum. Trainee Public Health Officers who are registered medical practitioners in NSW are paid in the range $110,745 to $122,038 per annum. Trainee Public Health Officers usually commence on the lowest salary rate and receive a salary increase upon the satisfactory completion of each year of employment. No review of salary can be undertaken once a Trainee has commenced duty.
In order to be eligible for a traineeship, applicants are required to meet a number of pre-requisites, including the successful completion of a masters or doctoral degree in a public health field, and a minimum of three years of full-time equivalent health related employment. Applicants for medical Trainee Public Health Officer roles are also required to hold general registration as a medical practitioner with the Medical Board of Australia.
Applicants must be able to demonstrate competence in a number of capabilities outlined in the NSW Public Sector Capability Framework including self-management, effective communication, thinking and problem solving, and project management, and must hold a work visa that gives them permission to work in Australia for the duration of the traineeship.