- Joined
- Jan 28, 2006
- Messages
- 480
Stephanie got to her final year of VCE without really knowing what she wanted to do, or what kind of career she wanted to have. Now she is in a challenging and satisfying role as an IT support officer. Here is her story:
“I knew that I had an interest in the environment, and that, combined with the ideas I picked up about different universities our school visited on Open Days, convinced me to apply for a Bachelor of Environmental Science in Marine & Freshwater Science at Deakin University in Warrnambool.
When I was offered a place – my first preference in the first round of offers – I was stoked, and accepted without hesitation. But it wasn’t until I attended uni for about a month, that I realised it wasn’t for me. Although I loved the content of the course, I really just wanted to get out there and do something, not just sit and read about it. So I deferred uni, and went in search of a real job.
About 2 months later, I was offered an 18 month traineeship through WestVic Workforce, working with the Glenelg Hopkins Catchment Management Authority as an Information Technology Trainee. I thought this would be an opportunity for me to combine my love of the environment with an interest in I.T. that I had picked up throughout school.
But apart from this, I never really imagined that this traineeship would provide me with anything more than a steady income, guaranteed job for at least a year and a half. Now after having completed my Group Training traineeship I can see that it worked out to be a lot more than that.
It gave me hands on, industry relevant, on the job training, which in my opinion has given me the kind of knowledge and confidence I don’t think I could ever have got from reading a book. Plus at the end of it, I came out with a Nationally Recognised Qualification.
The other thing I found that was unique to this traineeship is that all the while I was working and studying, I was surrounded by a support team who gave me encouragement and always believed I could go as far as I wanted.
This support not only came from my host employer, the CMA, but also from the staff at WestVic Group Training - I felt that my employers had a genuine interest in getting the best for me, and getting the best out of my life. Even after I completed my traineeship and the CMA took me on as one of their employees, WestVic were still there to support me, and continue to provide me with opportunities – ones I’d never dreamed of.
When I walked onto the stage and accepted the Trainee of the Year for Hamilton award, I was over the moon. I felt like I’d become a star over night, doing interviews, newspaper articles and even having my photo on a very large WestVic banner!
Then, a couple of months later, WestVic contacted the CMA with another fantastic opportunity – they wanted to nominate me to attend the Today’s Skills: Tomorrow’s Leaders program run by Group Training Australia – a National Leadership program for Group Training apprentices and trainees, to be held at the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra.
During the course of the week at Today’s Skills: Tomorrows Leaders, the other 20 trainees and apprentices and I were given some amazing opportunities. We were privileged enough to take a tour of Parliament House, and meet in person, both the Prime Minister John Howard, and the Opposition Leader, Kim Beazley. I think most of the other participants would agree with me when I say we found their personalities to be at the complete opposite ends of extreme, but both equally fascinating, and in unexpected ways – quite inspirational.
The official launch of Today’s Skills: Tomorrow’s Leaders was held at Government House, and launched by His Excellency, Major General Michael Jeffery, Governor General of the Commonwealth of Australia. We were able to meet in person and chat to His Excellency, as well as his wife, Her Excellency, Mrs Marlena Jeffery. Both were lovely, and unexpectedly down-to-earth, and genuinely interested in the participants of Today’s Skills: Tomorrows Leaders, and our lives as Group Training trainees and apprentices!
During our week in Canberra, we were lucky enough to be able to stay in the Athletes Residences at the Australian Institute of Sport, which gave us the opportunity to mingle, and even eat meals with, Australia’s top athletes. We marvelled at the level of commitment and passion they each put into their chosen sports.
As part of the Today’s Skills: Tomorrow’s Leaders program, we participated in a series of “Life by Design” workshops.
, facilitated by Ian Hutchinson, one of Australia’s leading lifestyle strategists, who’s philosophy is “Life is for living – have a fun, youthful attitude, keep things simple, and do what you love doing”. After completing the workshops, we had:
It was the most rewarding set of workshops I have ever been involved in, and most definitely the best week of self-discovery and learning I have experienced.
As I have learned, there is certainly a place for planning and setting goals, but also just as importantly, don’t forget to seize the opportunities that arise in life unexpectedly – perhaps ones that you never saw before as having a place in your life. You just never know where they might take you.”
Stephanie is one of around 8,400 apprentices in Victoria that are employed through a Group Training Organisation and placed with a host employer for on the job training. Group Training Organisations (GTOs) manage the recruitment, employment and training of apprentices and trainees throughout Victoria and Australia and the national network of Group Training Organisations is the largest employer of apprentices and trainees in the country.
Apprentices and trainees benefit from being employed by a Group Training Organisation that monitors their training progress both on and off the job and ensures the training is matched to industry requirements, resulting in a nationally recognised qualification.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
To find out about employment and training opportunities with Group Training Organisations visit [FONT="]www.grouptraining.com.auhttp://www.grouptraining.com.au/ or post your questions / comments in this forum and Stephanie or Leonie from GTA will reply.[/FONT]
“I knew that I had an interest in the environment, and that, combined with the ideas I picked up about different universities our school visited on Open Days, convinced me to apply for a Bachelor of Environmental Science in Marine & Freshwater Science at Deakin University in Warrnambool.
When I was offered a place – my first preference in the first round of offers – I was stoked, and accepted without hesitation. But it wasn’t until I attended uni for about a month, that I realised it wasn’t for me. Although I loved the content of the course, I really just wanted to get out there and do something, not just sit and read about it. So I deferred uni, and went in search of a real job.
About 2 months later, I was offered an 18 month traineeship through WestVic Workforce, working with the Glenelg Hopkins Catchment Management Authority as an Information Technology Trainee. I thought this would be an opportunity for me to combine my love of the environment with an interest in I.T. that I had picked up throughout school.
But apart from this, I never really imagined that this traineeship would provide me with anything more than a steady income, guaranteed job for at least a year and a half. Now after having completed my Group Training traineeship I can see that it worked out to be a lot more than that.
It gave me hands on, industry relevant, on the job training, which in my opinion has given me the kind of knowledge and confidence I don’t think I could ever have got from reading a book. Plus at the end of it, I came out with a Nationally Recognised Qualification.
The other thing I found that was unique to this traineeship is that all the while I was working and studying, I was surrounded by a support team who gave me encouragement and always believed I could go as far as I wanted.
This support not only came from my host employer, the CMA, but also from the staff at WestVic Group Training - I felt that my employers had a genuine interest in getting the best for me, and getting the best out of my life. Even after I completed my traineeship and the CMA took me on as one of their employees, WestVic were still there to support me, and continue to provide me with opportunities – ones I’d never dreamed of.
When I walked onto the stage and accepted the Trainee of the Year for Hamilton award, I was over the moon. I felt like I’d become a star over night, doing interviews, newspaper articles and even having my photo on a very large WestVic banner!
Then, a couple of months later, WestVic contacted the CMA with another fantastic opportunity – they wanted to nominate me to attend the Today’s Skills: Tomorrow’s Leaders program run by Group Training Australia – a National Leadership program for Group Training apprentices and trainees, to be held at the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra.
During the course of the week at Today’s Skills: Tomorrows Leaders, the other 20 trainees and apprentices and I were given some amazing opportunities. We were privileged enough to take a tour of Parliament House, and meet in person, both the Prime Minister John Howard, and the Opposition Leader, Kim Beazley. I think most of the other participants would agree with me when I say we found their personalities to be at the complete opposite ends of extreme, but both equally fascinating, and in unexpected ways – quite inspirational.
The official launch of Today’s Skills: Tomorrow’s Leaders was held at Government House, and launched by His Excellency, Major General Michael Jeffery, Governor General of the Commonwealth of Australia. We were able to meet in person and chat to His Excellency, as well as his wife, Her Excellency, Mrs Marlena Jeffery. Both were lovely, and unexpectedly down-to-earth, and genuinely interested in the participants of Today’s Skills: Tomorrows Leaders, and our lives as Group Training trainees and apprentices!
During our week in Canberra, we were lucky enough to be able to stay in the Athletes Residences at the Australian Institute of Sport, which gave us the opportunity to mingle, and even eat meals with, Australia’s top athletes. We marvelled at the level of commitment and passion they each put into their chosen sports.
As part of the Today’s Skills: Tomorrow’s Leaders program, we participated in a series of “Life by Design” workshops.
, facilitated by Ian Hutchinson, one of Australia’s leading lifestyle strategists, who’s philosophy is “Life is for living – have a fun, youthful attitude, keep things simple, and do what you love doing”. After completing the workshops, we had:
- Identified the real priorities in our life
- Identified our top five interests & passions
- Audited our personality types, key skills and values in life
- Identified our dream work
- Identified the obstacles holding us back from achieving our dream work
- And identified the best way to get motivated and begin making our plans come to life
It was the most rewarding set of workshops I have ever been involved in, and most definitely the best week of self-discovery and learning I have experienced.
As I have learned, there is certainly a place for planning and setting goals, but also just as importantly, don’t forget to seize the opportunities that arise in life unexpectedly – perhaps ones that you never saw before as having a place in your life. You just never know where they might take you.”
Stephanie is one of around 8,400 apprentices in Victoria that are employed through a Group Training Organisation and placed with a host employer for on the job training. Group Training Organisations (GTOs) manage the recruitment, employment and training of apprentices and trainees throughout Victoria and Australia and the national network of Group Training Organisations is the largest employer of apprentices and trainees in the country.
Apprentices and trainees benefit from being employed by a Group Training Organisation that monitors their training progress both on and off the job and ensures the training is matched to industry requirements, resulting in a nationally recognised qualification.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
To find out about employment and training opportunities with Group Training Organisations visit [FONT="]www.grouptraining.com.auhttp://www.grouptraining.com.au/ or post your questions / comments in this forum and Stephanie or Leonie from GTA will reply.[/FONT]
Last edited by a moderator: