On Wednesday 14th November 2018 Nudge held it’s annual End of Year Sundowner and launched the inaugural Nudge Training Awards. The awards are designed to acknowledge and recognise the contribution, across sectors and industries, of trainees and organisations in their commitment to training. The Clerical Trainee of the Year was awarded to Cynthia Nelly (Main Roads- Geraldton) and has been going from strength to strength ever since.
Cynthia was discovered through the Nudge community engagement and recruitment process in March 2018 when Main Roads Geraldton engaged us to assist them in finding a young person from the local area to take on a Clerical Traineeship. Nudge have been supporting Cynthia and her supervisor for the past 12 months and she has proven to be a wonderful employee and trainee and has really taken this opportunity and made the most of it.
We asked Cynthia a few questions about her time at Main Roads so far and how it felt winning the Nudge Clerical Trainee of the Year award.
Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
My name is Cynthia Nelly (20 years old) I am a proud young Aboriginal Yamaji woman who lives in Geraldton. I strive to grow continuously and develop new personal and professional skills and I am passionate about many things in life.
In my family, I am the bright positive person who they love to be around because of the support and love and energy I give and because of my caring personality.
In 2015 I graduated from Geraldton Senior College, during that time I had expressed interests working in a variety of these industries such as Child Care, Hospitality, Mining, and Tourism so I could discover my strengths, abilities, talent and mostly what I am passionate about. Shortly after this, I had recently completed my Certificate III in Tourism which was a great experience, one that I had gained great skills from and I enjoyed very much.
Now I am currently completing a Traineeship as a Clerical Trainee studying Certificate III in Business with Trainwest. I am employed by the Main Roads WA Geraldton Office and Nudge have assisted me throughout the process to be successful in this position.
I am a very kind-hearted person who enjoys trying new activities and travelling and meeting new people, finding out their culture or background and hearing their story. I have many goals and aspirations in life. In 2018 I accomplished two of my goals;
- To gain a job, one that I really enjoy — I have achieved this through the Clerical traineeship
- Gaining my provisional licence
I’ve always wanted to explore all opportunities. I set myself goals and continue to learn from striving and achieving and showing dedication and passion. I hope that one day in my future I will look back on my goals and achievements and I can be a great role model to my young family, youth and community members, to inspire and encourage them into pursuing their dreams and career pathways.
What made you apply for this traineeship?
A family member first recommended this traineeship to me. When I read the description, I thought straight away I had all the qualities and I fit the criteria very well. I also knew if I applied for this traineeship and if I became successful in this position, it would be a great opportunity for me to gain more experience and develop new skills and further my knowledge and connections to building my career pathway.
What would you say to other employers who are thinking about bringing more young people into their business- the impact it can have?
I would say to other businesses, offering traineeships and more wonderful opportunities to youth, our next generation, is vital as having more young people to work in your industry or your business will have multiple benefits. You gain extra employees with more training and assessment development outcomes for your team, helping to share the knowledge. It also can benefit a young person by changing that person’s life, impacting them in a positive way which may lead to creating improvements and changes for the better. It could be a great opportunity, one that leads to them achieving their goals and great outcomes and stories to tell from your business.
What are some of the personal outcomes you have noticed from taking part in this traineeship?
The benefits this traineeship has provided me is many new personal and professional skills, increased my knowledge in many fields, not just the business.
I’ve created many great workplace relationships with my colleagues, working with them I have learnt their values and how they contribute to Main Roads WA. To be a part of this organisation is such a wonderful experience. This traineeship is a big step in my journey to exploring great opportunities and striving in my future career pathway, leading me to improve and boosting my confidence.
What’s the best thing you have worked on, learnt or been involved with during your traineeship so far?
The thing I am most proud of is the improvements I’ve have achieved during the time through my traineeship. Customer Service, providing excellent assistance to my customers and colleagues during my daily tasks and my attention to detail with record keeping. I am very on board with all my requirements and I understand our guidelines and policies and I have made great changes and have delivered great outcomes in my role under Record Keeping.
What is your favourite family tradition?
Eating a big feast together as one big family for events like Naidoc Week, Christmas and Family Anniversaries.
If you could travel to any place with no budget restrictions, where would you go and why?
A tropical place that has beautiful scenery and heaps of trees and beautiful beaches, rivers or lakes or even a place full of snow with beautiful frozen lakes and snowy mountains. New South Wales, Canada, New Zealand, Phuket, Coco’s Island to name a few.
Do you have a favourite season and why?
- I love winter to feel the raindrops and the smell of rain is the best thing about winter also seeing everything turn all green
- I love spring to see the beautiful wildflowers bloom that’s the best thing about spring
- I love summer because I go to the beach for BBQ’s with my family and I get to feel of the sun on my skin that’s the best thing about summer
If you could splurge on 1 must-have item, what would it be?
Being able to travel to any place by any transport and anytime.
How did it feel winning the Nudge Clerical Trainee of the Year award?
It was an amazing feeling, one that I’ll never forget. I did feel proud of my accomplishments and to receive such a wonderful award for the dedication and effort I put into my traineeship and that it was recognised by Nudge and by my employer Main Roads WA. It was an honour to be there and a wonderful experience, one that I felt proud to come home and share with my family.
What does the future hold for you at Main Roads?
For this moment it’s looking good. I am planning on continuing my study with a Certificate IV in Business after completing my Certificate III. There is a lot of great opportunities here in Main Roads and I have received great feedback from my managers. I hope to keep heading into a great direction, one that allows me to keep expanding my knowledge and gaining more personal and professional development.
Cynthia Nelly (centre) with Nudge team at the 2018 Nudge End of Year Sundowner
