The career value of a traineeship
My name is Olivia, I am a 21 year-old who recently made the move from the small NSW country town Deniliquin to Melbourne seeking big dreams, and an opportunity to pursue a career that combined everything I love. Now I am working in Emergency Services, using my training, education, and experience in ways I could never have imagined.
From a young age I was always interested in learning and being a high achiever. This took me down the path of trying new things all the time and taking on every training opportunity I could. My goal was to get as many qualifications, training, and experience behind me that I could at a young age.
I had the opportunity to do a traineeship with South West Arts, running the youth community radio station they had started just a few months prior – THE END FM. I was able to complete a Cert IV in Screen and Media through the Community Media Training Organisation as part of this, learning on the job and growing my passion for media, creative arts, youth, and my community. I loved it so much, that I completed my traineeship early and took over as interim Station Manager.
But in August of 2022, I made the tough decision to move to Melbourne and away from this amazing career in media. However it allowed me to take on the incredible opportunity to do something new, starting my career with the Country Fire Authority. I am a Regional BASO in the South East Region Volunteer Sustainability Team, and surprisingly my background, education and experience assists me in my role every day. The creative industry truly is something that applies to every industry and workforce.