At Early Start Australia, we work with children, their families and young adults to provide the best start to grow, develop and reach their full potential.

We are looking for passionate graduates who want to make a real difference in the lives of those they treat, to join our 1-year Graduate Program.

You’ll work with a team of dedicated allied health and client support professionals, collaborating on treatment plans and sharing knowledge to contribute to a holistic care approach for our wonderful clients.

You’ll be mentored by experienced clinicians, delivering therapy in one of our well-equipped clinics, at client’s homes, schools and via telehealth.

As a Graduate Occupational Therapist, you will...

• Help children achieve their development milestones such as fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination to help play, school or independent skills (e.g. throwing a ball, getting dressed, holding a pencil or utensil)
• Educate and involve parents, carers and others to facilitate the development and learning of children
• Help children with developmental delays learn everyday tasks (such as bathing, getting dressed, brushing their teeth and feeding themselves)
• Help children with behavioural issues maintain positive behaviours in all environments (e.g. instead of hitting others and acting out, using positive ways to deal with anger such as writing about feelings or participating in physical activity)

What’s in it for you?

We value our team and guarantee a competitive salary plus flexibility and a range of amazing benefits to promote your skills, health and happiness:

• A collaborative service model with no billables - have lots of time to spend on the extras that help them to achieve their therapy goals
• Over 100 hrs of rostered annual CPD hours per year which includes monthly in-house training, daily team collaboration time, national and state clinical meetings, paid professional development leave and your own professional development allowance
• Up to 12 weeks annual leave per year with our additional leave program
• The opportunity to work in a national multi-disciplinary team and exchange ideas, collaborate on treatment plans and provide a holistic approach for our clients
• Perkbox perks with reduced prices and benefits from groceries to movie tickets
• Flexible working hours to suit your life and family
• Generous paid parental leave

Plus - we have friendly and well-organised administration teams booking appointments, invoicing and managing NDIS changes, leaving you to get on with what is most important to you – supporting children and their families!

Here’s what you can expect from the Graduate Program:

Fortnightly technical training to boost your clinical skills and confidence

1-on-1 mentoring with a senior clinician to support your career ambitions

A dedicated buddy to support you to settle in and thrive

What we’re looking for from our future graduates:

We’re looking for a team of graduates who share our passion for making a difference and making therapy a fun, engaging and meaningful experience for families.

We want enthusiastic and dedicated individuals who not only have a desire to thrive in their own careers, but they are ready to collaborate and bring fresh ideas to the wider team.

Your ability to communicate effectively, coupled with a keen eye for detail and core time management skills, will allow you to thrive at Early Start Australia.

Now, here’s the important bits... You’ll need to:

• Hold a degree in Occupational Therapy
• Be eligible for AHPRA registration upon graduating
• Have graduated in the last 12 months or graduating in 2025
• Hold a full valid driver's license, with access to your own vehicle with third party insurance
• Hold a valid Working with Children Check, or be willing to obtain
• Hold a current Police Check, or be willing to obtain
• Hold a NDIS Workers Screening Clearance, or be willing to obtain
• Hold a First Aid and CPR certification, or be willing to obtain

About Early Start Australia

Early Start Australia is working towards a brighter future for all Australians. Providing allied health therapy services at over 45 clinics throughout Australia, our clinics are well connected so our clinicians can learn from experts across the country.

Our team of Allied Health professionals, including speech pathologists, occupational therapists, physiotherapists and psychologists, offer therapies to support all ages, needs and abilities with a strong focus on care for children.

If this sounds like the perfect first step in your career, we would love to hear from you so please click Apply Now or contact our team on graduate@apm.net.au.

Learn more at https://www.earlystartaustralia.com.au/work-at-esa/graduates/

We're committed to Equality, Diversity and Inclusivity

We welcome all people to join our team, including people from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, living with disability, all gender identities, LGBTQIA+, people of any socioeconomic status, of any age, race, national origin or ethnicity. We believe each person’s uniqueness makes us even better at the work we do.