Career development

You’ll feel empowered and supported to develop your career at SMCT. People are the foundation of our purpose-led organisation and we are committed to developing our people.

Learn, develop and grow at SMCT

SMCT leverages its talent framework to identify, develop and retain high-performing employees. We strive to build capability and continue to lead our sector nationally and internationally.

We have an annual Performance and Development Plan (PDPs) process to ensure everyone receives clear direction and meaningful feedback that supports them to do their best and provides a development plan that’s right for them.

SMCT outdoor team leaders take a walk on the grounds at Springvale Botanical Cemetery

Current development programs underway

	Customer Experience optimisation program: giving our customer-facing team the skills and support they need.
	Plant and equipment up-skilling: giving our operations team new skills and certifications, including to operate excavators, trucks, tractors, buggies, scissor lifts, bobcats, front-end loaders, backhoes and more.
	Health, Safety and Wellbeing training: helping leaders and team members identify and manage job-specific risks.
	Digital transformation: up-skilling our teams on new generation systems.
	Self-guided training: we provide an online platform for self-paced, self-service learning with thousands of free courses for professional development.
	SMCT learning workshops, along with a detailed orientation program.

Leadership development

	Quarterly on-site Leadership Forums, providing all people leaders an opportunity to be informed of key activities across the organisation, as well as a chance to connect and build your internal network.
	Enterprise Leadership Program: helping grow leadership capabilities to create the next line of senior and executive leadership.

"I love being part of our team and culture. It's so rewarding to be able to help people, mentor others and make a difference."

Elise, Funeral Director Support Team Leader

Traineeships

We are investing the next generation of horticulturists helps provide valuable knowledge and best practice to the industry. Over the past ten years, six SMCT employees have received a total of eight awards including Outstanding Apprentice of the Year at their level, and the much-coveted award of "Outstanding Student of the Year Holmesglen Parks and Gardens".

Partnering with Holmesglen, Melbourne Polytechnic, Swinburne University and Swinburne Tafe, SMCT also provides essential training experience for students studying Arboriculture, Landscape and Horticulture subjects. Springvale Botanical Cemetery features over 12,000 trees alone and that’s only one of nine locations in the trust. The scale provides a unique environment for students to consider variables not usually seen in domestic situations.

Traineeships and work experience opportunities are available on an ad-hoc basis. Please reach out to our friendly Talent Acquisition team via recruitment@smct.org.au to register your interest or follow us on LinkedIn to keep an eye out for these opportunities.

Graduate Opportunities

We want SMCT to keep leading the sector in creating extraordinary experiences for our community and taking care of our shared heritage for future generations. From time to time we have graduate opportunities for those who are curious about performing an essential role to celebrate and honour life.

If you are interested in a graduate opportunity, please reach out to our friendly Talent Acquisition team via recruitment@smct.org.au

Innovation and Continuous Improvement Award winner: Lisa Falla

This award recognises individuals who demonstrate exceptional skills in identifying and implementing improvements, advocating for innovative solutions that benefit our customers, and engaging in collaborative efforts that enhance our organisation.

From pastry brush to painting brush, our hospitality team can do it all

During the COVID-19 pandemic, our Hospitality team offered up their skills in new areas and continued to serve our community with heartfelt kindness.

Stories

A student's journey: reflections on a year at SMCT

During my placement year at Southern Metropolitan Cemeteries Trust (SMCT), I have gained a wealth of experience and knowledge. While it’s difficult to condense all that I have learned into one concise summary, my biggest takeaway from a year as a Communications Officer at SMCT is how it’s changed my perspective on the things that matter most in my career.