Council trainee CQ finalist in Queensland Training Awards
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Posted on July 21, 2021
For Cleo Barraclough a traineeship with council was an opportunity to kick start her career. The former asset management trainee now works full-time for council as a business support analyst whilst pursuing a double degree in information technology and finance. During her traineeship, Ms Barraclough completed a Certificate III in Business through training provider Skills@top.
‘The ability to work in a place where I can contribute to making my community and region an even better place to live was a big drawcard when selecting my workplace,’ Ms Barraclough said.
On choosing asset management Ms Barraclough has an equally pragmatic approach.
‘Asset management combines engineering with accounting to inform key business decisions,’ she said.
‘It’s a practical career choice because it’s required in many industries worldwide.’
She said getting started in the technical part of the role didn’t come without challenges for her.
‘It was incredibly difficult for me to understand engineering and financial fundamentals at the start of my traineeship, but with the support of my supervisors and team members and my own initiative, I’ve learnt these things as I went.’
Ms Barraclough credits much of her experience to being in a regional area.
‘Had I been in a city, my traineeship would have been very straight forward and I would have been doing the same things day in and out – but in a regional town we often don’t have the resources so the work is much more diverse.’
Her efforts have been recognised as she has been listed as a Central Queensland finalist for the Bob Marshman Trainee of the Year Award in the Queensland Training Awards 2021. Winners will be announced on 30 July 2021,
Council’s apprentice and traineeship programs are a pathway into a large and diverse workforce. The programs are open to people from all backgrounds and school leavers, people re-entering the workforce or adult workers wishing to change careers or gain new skills can apply. The intake for the 2022 program is expected to open between September and November for a start in January.