If you are building a shortlist of graduate programs in Victoria, the first job is to tell a Victorian role from a national one. Many FMCG graduate programs in Melbourne look local because the employer has a head office or a factory in the state, yet the employer's page often says nothing about where graduates actually sit. The same goes for graduate jobs in Melbourne food manufacturing: a nearby plant does not mean the role is there. This guide sorts the employers by what each official page says, so you can see where to apply and what to ask first.
Chandler Personnel, an independent, Melbourne-based blue collar specialist, supplies labour hire and permanent recruitment for food manufacturing jobs; it does not run, recruit for or place people into these graduate programs, so apply on each employer's own page. Programs, streams and dates change, so confirm each detail on the employer's own page before you apply.
What "Victorian" can and cannot mean for a graduate program
A fair shortlist needs a test. In this guide, a program counts as named Victorian only when its page names a Victorian location for the graduate role itself. A head office or a plant describes the business, not where graduates are placed. Only one graduate stream page, Asahi's Sales stream, names a Victorian location for the graduate role itself, and Asahi's page currently shows applications closed.
That does not make the other programs a poor fit for a Melbourne graduate. It means the page cannot tell you where you would work, so you have to ask. The three questions near the end of this guide are built for that gap.
Asahi Sales: the one stream that names a Victorian base
According to Asahi Beverages' graduate page, there are seven streams in its 12 to 15-month options: Sales, Marketing, Revenue Management, Business Insights, Data Science, Supply Chain and Logistics. Only Sales shows a location, Southbank Head Office, Victoria. The Sales stream's preferred background is listed as open to any degree discipline, with business degrees highly regarded.
Asahi Beverages' graduate page currently shows "Applications closed", so check the page for the next intake before you plan around it. The page says the program is for Australian or New Zealand citizens, or permanent residents, who graduated within the last two years. The other six streams show no location, so if you want a Melbourne graduate program in supply chain, do not read Asahi's Supply Chain stream as Melbourne-based.
Fonterra and P&G: Melbourne head offices, not graduate bases
Fonterra: head office in Richmond
Fonterra Australia is a dairy ingredients and foodservice business. According to Fonterra's graduate page, its head office is in Richmond, Melbourne, with eight manufacturing sites across Victoria and Tasmania and sales offices in Sydney, Adelaide, Perth and Brisbane. That describes the business. The main page does not say where graduates sit, so no site or office should be read as a graduate base. One Supply Chain graduate's own account on a stream page mentions working in regional Victoria, which is a personal account, not a stated placement.
The page lists three streams: Commercial, Supply Chain and Automation Engineering. It names no intake year or application window, so confirm both there. Our separate guide to the Fonterra graduate program covers the streams, eligibility rules and program length.
P&G: Melbourne head office
According to P&G's Australia locations page, the company has a Melbourne head office in Hawthorn, Victoria, and a Sydney head office. P&G's ANZ sales graduate page says its graduate and internship opportunities are "available across Australia" and does not say where graduates sit, so the Melbourne office is a company fact, not a placement.
The locations page says P&G Australia generally considers Australian or New Zealand citizens and Australian permanent residents, and that it does not sponsor candidates for employment-based visas.
National programs that name no Victorian location
These five programs name no Victorian location for the graduate role on their pages. Each gets one line here, so read the full page before you rely on it.
- Mondelez. Six functions are listed on its graduate page, including Sales, Finance and Manufacturing & Logistics, and, according to the early careers FAQ, Mondelez cannot cover travel or accommodation for assessment centres for applicants based outside Melbourne.
- DuluxGroup. This paint and consumer products group says on its graduate page that applications for its 2027 Graduate Program are "now open" when checked, and that it recruits "right across Australia and New Zealand".
- Mars. Mars Australia says on its graduate page that applications will reopen in 2027 for the 2028 program and invites readers to register their interest.
- Nestle. Nestle lists the streams and a document checklist on its NextGen page but shows no application dates, so check the page for the current intake.
- Bega. Bega Group names the 2027 RISE Graduate Program on its graduate page, says its disciplines are subject to change, and shows no eligibility rules or dates.
Coles: a retail route kept separate
Coles Group's talent programs page says pre-registration is open and that applications open in 2027. Coles is a supermarket retailer, so it is listed here as retail and FMCG-adjacent, not as a food maker.
Three questions to ask before you apply
Where a page is silent, put these questions to the employer through the contact route on its own page:
- Where will I sit? Ask which office, site or state the graduate role is based in.
- What is the next intake? Ask when applications open next, and check the year on the page against the year you finish your degree.
- Does the page name my stream's location? If it does not, do not assume a Melbourne head office means a Melbourne role.
For the employer side of the same story, our posts on how manufacturers recruit from universities and on manufacturing career fairs are written for employers rather than applicants.
Chandler Personnel also supplies labour hire for warehouse work in Victoria, which is separate from the programs above. General questions about looking for work are answered on our candidate questions page.
Related Resources
- Asahi's graduate page
- Fonterra's graduate page
- P&G's Australia locations page
- Food manufacturing jobs
- Warehouse work in Victoria
- How employers recruit from universities
- Candidate questions
Common Questions About Graduate Programs in Victoria
1. Which graduate programs are based in Victoria?
Only one stream page names a Victorian location for the graduate role itself: Asahi's Sales stream at Southbank Head Office, where the page currently shows applications closed. Fonterra has a Richmond head office and P&G a Hawthorn one, but neither page says where graduates are placed.
2. Do I need to live in Melbourne to apply for an FMCG graduate program?
The Asahi, Fonterra and P&G pages in this guide do not mention where you must live. Their eligibility lines cover citizenship, residency and, for some, how recently you graduated. Check the eligibility line on each page, and ask the employer if your location could matter to a stream.
3. When do Victorian graduate program applications open?
It depends on the employer, and several pages show no window. Asahi's page shows applications closed, Mars says it will reopen in 2027 for the 2028 program, and Coles says applications open in 2027. DuluxGroup's FAQ says initial applications open in July. Check each page for the current intake.
4. Can I apply for a manufacturing graduate program without a business degree?
Some pages say so. Asahi's Sales stream lists its preferred background as open to any degree discipline, Fonterra says it is looking for people instead of specific degrees from particular disciplines, and Mondelez's FAQ welcomes all disciplines. Each stream sets its own preferences, so read the stream you want.
5. What if the intake I want is closed?
Check the page for the next intake before you plan around it. Mars invites readers to register their interest, Coles offers pre-registration, and Mondelez's page offers a Talent Community link. Intake dates are set by each employer, so use its own page.
Shortlist by Location, Then Check the Page
A Victorian shortlist is shorter than it first looks, because only Asahi's Sales stream names a Victorian base and its page currently shows applications closed. Fonterra and P&G have Melbourne head offices, but their pages do not say where graduates sit. Put every employer through the same test, then ask the three questions wherever the page is silent. Open each employer's own page this week and note the intake year and any registration link.
