The Australian Association of Graduate Employers Conference and Survey provide insight to how this globally influential market is undergoing rapid and meaningful change, explains CEO Shanan Green.
The Australian Association of Graduate Employers (AAGE) Conference held in Brisbane, brought together an engaged community of early careers professionals who embraced this year’s theme: Innovate, Collaborate, Succeed – Your Impact, Their Future.
Across two highly energised days, delegates explored the evolving dynamics of early talent development, the changing priorities of emerging graduates, and the organisational pressures shaping early careers strategy in Australia.
When combined with insights from the Association’s latest Candidate and Employer Surveys, several clear and compelling trends emerged - offering a view of a landscape undergoing rapid and meaningful change.
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A generation motivated by growth and purpose
One of the strongest themes running through the conference was the development-driven mindset of Gen Z.
We know this cohort approaches early career employment differently, prioritising learning, progression, and purposeful work. Delegates consistently described a shift away from traditional, linear career expectations toward a desire for continuous growth, skill-building, and variety.
This mindset was reinforced by the 2026 AAGE Candidate Survey where half of the over 2,000 respondents rated career progression opportunities among the three most important factors when assessing employers, followed by the quality of training and development programs and company culture.
Graduates are increasingly focused on the trajectory an organisation can offer, not just the entry-level role itself. For employers, this highlights the importance of clearly communicating opportunities for progression and designing graduate programs that genuinely build capability and momentum.
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AI’s transformative role in recruitment and program design
Artificial Intelligence was the most dominant thread woven through the conference. Whether discussing recruitment, job design, onboarding, or manager capability, AI’s influence was unmistakable. Delegates explored both the efficiencies it enables and the complexities it introduces.
A consistent message emerged: AI is reshaping candidate behaviour and employer practice at extraordinary speed.
The Candidate Survey revealed that 42% of graduates are now using AI to support their applications - up from 27% the year before - with its use most common in interview and cover-letter preparation.
Employers are also feeling the consequences of AI-driven behaviour as application volumes have reached record levels in 2026. Yet 41% of candidates say employers are not providing enough guidance about appropriate use of AI in recruitment, signalling a clear need for more transparent communication and expectations-setting.
These findings underscore the importance of rethinking talent attraction and selection strategies. They reflect similar trends found in the UK ISE data.
Conference presenters encouraged organisations to develop considered, ethical, and human-centred approaches to AI usage. Doing so requires more than technology adoption; it demands clarity of policy, strong communication to candidates, and deliberate workforce planning.
At the same time, graduates must develop AI literacy to complement their interpersonal capabilities, a dual skillset that will be essential in workplaces where digital fluency and human strengths are increasingly intertwined.
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Human skills, resilience and ready managers
As the world of work becomes more complex and technology-driven, human-centred skills remain critical. Emotional intelligence, collaboration, and resilience were repeatedly identified as areas where graduates need strong foundations.
Delegates noted that early career talent often requires structured support to navigate ambiguity and maintain confidence in environments where change is constant.
This brings increased attention to the capability of managers. Across the conference, participants stressed that the effectiveness of a graduate program is often determined by the leaders who support it.
Graduates thrive where managers have the time, skill, and mindset to coach, develop, and provide meaningful feedback.
Insights from the 2026 AAGE Employer Survey also indicated that manager capability and capacity rate among the most significant challenges for employers (33%), reinforcing the need for targeted investment in this area.
Employers are increasingly auditing and enhancing the support mechanisms, training and materials provided to their graduate managers to ensure they are equipped to guide early career talent successfully and adapt to the demands of an evolving workforce.
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A challenging and changing environment for employers
Employers across sectors are navigating a more complex and unpredictable early talent environment. Workforce planning uncertainty, heightened expectations from graduates, economic and resource pressures are all influencing recruitment and development decisions.
The 2026 Employer Survey highlights a shifting set of challenges where, for the first time, forecasting graduate role requirements has overtaken competition for graduates as the top concern.
More than one-third of employers cite uncertainty in workforce planning as their primary issue, with one in ten finalising their intake numbers only after recruitment campaigns had commenced.
These dynamics are shifting the timeframes of recruitment to later in the year for some employers or driving the move towards more open ended or multiple campaign rounds for others, enabling organisations to better meet their talent needs and program purpose.
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Letting go of legacy mindsets
One of the most resonant messages from the conference was the need to unlearn outdated practices and rethink long-standing assumptions about early career programs.
Delegates discussed the importance of designing models that prioritise development, enable mobility, and help graduates build future-ready skills rather than simply fulfilling short-term organisational needs.
The themes and data presented throughout the conference reinforced how critical it is to actively promote early careers programs and recognise their strategic value within organisations.
In an era marked by generational and technological transformation, strong stakeholder engagement is essential to ensure these programs are positioned to drive long-term organisational success and adapt to the evolving needs of both graduates and employers.
The call to innovate and collaborate was more than thematic - it reflected the collective ambition of the early careers community to lead change, not simply respond to it.