The Nudge Trainee Journey – NTJ an insight into trainee life 2021.
The NTJ is a new monthly update that looks at the working-lives of amazing trainees. Each month we will highlight a different trainee from various employers and industries and share their training journey, in their words.
The Nudge mentors will ask three (3) questions to give a snapshot into “trainee life”, for those with aspirations or an interest in what a traineeship is all about.
- What it is like to be a trainee?
- What aspirations do trainees have after a traineeship is completed?
- Can I be a trainee?
Young people looking at a career pathway through a traineeship learn (listen and follow), if they have a peer to model from.
So, this is the purpose of NTJ. To empower young people, using the example of other young people who are living and working through a traineeship.
The second Nudge Trainee Journey – NTJ for March 2021 is:
- Victoria Howard
- Traineeship – Business
Victoria Howard was a business trainee with the Public Transport Agency (PTA) and recently completed a business traineeship and secured ongoing employment with PTA.
The feedback from those who work with Victoria show her willingness to learn, and her dedication and diligence to performing tasks to the best of her ability. Victoria has shown a keen interest in procurement and working in this space going forward, which is exciting.
Victoria was a nominee of the Nudge Clerical Trainee of the Year Awards 2020 and recently she shared time with mentor Acacia Collard about her views on the traineeship journey and her future aspirations.
Q1. What two things / aspects have you enjoyed the most about the work and traineeship so far?
- I really enjoy being a part of a team, especially in a fast-paced environment like the Public Transport Authority (PTA). Despite the challenges of working in an organisation like this, I was able to be part of the Contracts Management Team and therefore, was able to work with a great deal of different people with different backgrounds. Being thrown into a team who already knew one another was difficult at first, however my confidence definitely grew and now I’m able to talk to anyone in the organisation, which is important.
- I also liked the actual work itself, I enjoyed all the tasks I was given and learnt so much about the PTA and other government offices and their processes. Working in Contracts has been exciting and everything I’ve done was a challenge at first, but now I look forward to getting new tasks and taking on new challenges. The work is engaging and rewarding.
Q2. What is the biggest challenge of the work / traineeship for you?
My biggest challenge was definitely communication and becoming part of the team. Meeting new people and talking to people who I don’t know has always been difficult for me. I spent my first three weeks at the PTA being quiet and avoiding everyone, but eventually I had to snap out of that and get to know people and communicate effectively so I could learn more about the work I was doing and about the PTA itself. Working in Contract Management meant I had stakeholders to engage and communicate with, so learning to do that was hard at first, but it became easier as I grew in confidence.
Q3. Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
I would definitely like to see myself progress in the contract management/procurement field – as it is an area that I enjoy and feel that I do relatively well in. I’m not sure if I’ll be at the PTA in 5 years, but I do like the thought of remaining in Government.
Thank you for reading the NTJ March edition and a special thanks to Victoria for sharing her insight.
Be sure to check back with us in April for the next NTJ !
Best wishes,
The Nudge Team