Training & Personal Development at Queensland Audit Office

I prefer learning things by trying but a lot of on the job training is being asked to do something and to reach out if you need help. There is not formal training on any kind of workpaper and there are no shadowing exercises. This can feel daunting but I'm sure aids in learning faster.

Great support from team members for informal training and well documented processes have made picking up skills quite easy. Formal training has helped me to understand audit processes and procedures well. I've gained confidence in Excel and PowerBI that I was rusty on before, and become much more proficient in SQL

An orientation week for graduates. And lots of on-the-job training and support provided by colleagues and managers.

The training and development programs at QAO seem very sophisticated, and cover a wide range of technical and non-technical skills. Some of these skills are things that I had never thought would be useful, but have been. One minor critique is that some programs are typically focused towards the auditing side of the business, whereas more niche sections (performance auditing, data and analytics, information systems auditing) are not targeted.

The QAO Graduate Program sets you up with success, with a dedicated induction week to the graduate program with training. There is also two designated training blocks throughout the year to enhance your skills and refresh on learning you have done on the job. Majority of learning is completed while working, receiving coaching from your senior staff and having the ability to have a go at work yourself.

Graduate program has tailored training and forums to help with the transition into the workplace and auditing as a profession. There is tailored training depending on your time with the organisation as well. More or less catered to where you sit in your career development.

Training is delivered in modules and traditional lecture-style sessions. However, most of the learning and development happens when you are actually on the job. This is where the absence of support can be really endured at times. For graduates, ask the AO4 cohort above you- they will always happily help you.

A lot of formal training, your first few weeks is just training which can be a lot when you first start. There are 2 training blocks within the year where you catch up on all the training sessions. On the job training is very self-driven so do not expect any hand holding.

There is a lot of training. How things need to be done are taught on the job but also formally. There are other useful skill based training offered as well, such as good presentation skills, professional sceptics, how to write in plain English.

The first week was all formal training, and then throughout the year we have formal training as needed. On the audit team your manager will train you on what you are required to do to complete the work, and answer any questions.

There are dedicated blocks of time (during the quiet periods) for training & development which teach you various skills that may be useful for the job. Additionally, during the induction period for graduates, they assume you don't know anything about the auditing process and they teach you the basics of auditing which was important for me with no formal education on auditing.

There are formal training courses, regular mentorship, pairing with seniors to assist with learning specific skills, and regular informal training courses and material provided.

Training has been very useful for my day-to-day tasks.

The formal training is all very applicable to the work and trainers are very passionate about their topics. The training is in blocks throughout the year and is designed to match the timing of audits. This means we will be learning new topics just as we will be using those skills in our jobs.

There are many opportunities to develop both hard and soft skills, the training is well advertised and organised.