When Olive Zammit's parents dropped by the Job Shop they met Amy, who eagerly pitched our youth traineeships to them.
"Amy really sold it to my dad; I wasn't sure what I wanted to do yet – either finish year 12 or apply for a traineeship," Olive says.
Olive delved deeper into the opportunity through school talks, a tour of Council, and info sessions. With Amy's support at the Job Shop, Olive gained the confidence she needed to apply. She aced her interview.
"When I got the job, I had a good hard think and decided the traineeship would give me better perspectives on my future career," Olive says.
The traineeship meant she could live at home and still train her horse for showjumping, save money, and explore career options. The biggest challenge so far has been the "rotations through areas of Council".
"It's a great experience moving around different departments within Council, but it's hard starting out in a new team once you've already become familiar with the old one. It's like you're starting a whole new job," Olive admits.
Despite the challenge, Olive views it as a positive.
"You adapt to change and gain skills to be resilient and walk into a new job with confidence. Everyone is super friendly which makes it a lot easier."
Now, almost one year into the traineeship, Olive is leaning towards becoming a primary school teacher. Her work in the libraries has given her valuable insights.
"I enjoy what goes on behind the scenes, planning activities and storytime, while also getting a taste of what it's like working with younger children."
"TAFE has been awesome; the teacher is great. I really enjoy it. It's quite different to school and I am using a lot of what I learn at TAFE in a practical way at work," Olive says.
- This story was first published in Council's quarterly newsletter for residents, Living in Eurobodalla. A printed edition is delivered to Eurobodalla's 26,000 households.
