A YOUNG member of staff at Eurobodalla Shire Council has been making an impression in the work she does while juggling school and a social life.
Carroll College’s Georgia Nott was awarded school-based trainee of the year for her efforts in the human resources department at council.
The 17-year-old has been in the program for a year, completing one day of work placement each week. The award was a big surprise for her as she missed the official presentation believing she would not get it.
“That is why I didn’t go. I stayed at home and did homework,” she laughed.
“I was pretty proud of myself.”
The Year 11 student is completing a traineeship in business services at school and plans to take on tertiary studies.
“I want to take it through to university,” she said. “I need a high UAI to do the course I want at uni.”
Her ultimate goal is to be working as a personnel officer or manager in the business industry. She believes the course that she is close to completing the first year of will be beneficial in putting her “a step ahead” in the future.
Her overseeing manager at council, Trish Flynn, sees the potential in the young office worker.
“She has shown a huge commitment, is reliable and can do a job and balance school and a social life,” she said.
“It was really well deserved. We had no input at all, so we were thrilled.”
The traineeship is over two years and requires a minimum of 100 professional working hours to be undertaken. Trainees also receive a wage equivalent to the work that they are completing.
“She’s studying business services and working in the HR department as an administration assistant, primarily in staff training and recruitment,” Mrs Flynn said.
“Georgia is the second trainee that we’ve had over at HR.”
The traineeship is held in conjunction with Miss Nott’s school and group training organisation SERTEC. Traineeships have been offered by SERTEC for the past 18 months and the organisation has run apprenticeships since 1998.
SERTEC group training field officer Kieran Ubrihien said Georgia deserved the award for the effort that she had made.
“She’s a bit of a star trainee at the Eurobodalla Shire Council and the staff are very happy with her,” he said.
“The traineeship combines work and school. It is a successful example of what an Australian school-based apprenticeship is about.”