Turning the Page on Professional Growth
Team Leader Gayle Donaldson speaks on her experience mentoring Winnie, a recent trainee at City of Sydney Libraries. Winnie is the first trainee to join the team and is already making a lasting impression.
I think Winnie’s progressed really well. The growth in her confidence has been really strong since she started. She’s picked up a lot of the day-to-day work really quickly.
From the beginning, Winnie demonstrated initiative and preparation qualities that stood out during the recruitment process.
I think she’s very personable and I think her attitude is great. What stood out when we interviewed for this role was the fact that Winnie had done her research so she knew what the role was going to be. She’s got a very strong sense of wanting to do work that benefits the community and I think that was a great attitude to come in with. That was fantastic. Like, that’s what we’re here for.
According to Gayle, Winnie brought a natural ability to connect with people, a calm presence and a willingness to learn, traits that have helped her thrive in the library environment.
She’s come in with great customer service skills and she’s also got that very calm manner about her as well. I think she’s adapted brilliantly. She’s picked up everything very quickly, but by the same token, she’s confident in asking questions if she’s not 100% sure.
Gayle believes traineeships like this one are a powerful way to build confidence, transfer knowledge and allow young people to grow through real-world experience.
When I did my librarian degree I was working full time at the same time and it just makes it so much easier than coming into it blind and not sort of having any contact. I think it’s great that Winnie can do the work as well as her course. She can relate things directly back that way.
But the benefits of a traineeship flow both ways. For teams like the one at City of Sydney Libraries, having a trainee on board also brings a fresh perspective and an opportunity to reflect on day-to-day practices.
It gives everyone the opportunity to share their skills. I think sometimes when we’ve been in organisations a long time, you do possibly get a little bit complacent and it’s only when you get someone like Winnie coming in, it’s a bit of a refresh for us. It’s a great way to share our knowledge and gives us an opportunity to almost relearn things. I think everyone’s really enjoyed that aspect of the traineeship.
With the proper support, trainees can make meaningful contributions, learn quickly and bring new energy to a team. All while gaining the skills they need to build their own careers.
This is my first year managing the trainee contract. It’s been very different to anything I’ve done in the past and is a very different experience from managing staff in a regular team, but lots of fun and very rewarding. I’m looking forward to managing the next one and meeting our new trainee in 2026.
At AFL SportsReady, we help workplaces grow by creating opportunities that support both learning and leadership.
Through our traineeship programs, we connect motivated young people with mentors who are ready to share their knowledge, strengthen their teams and shape the next generation of professionals.
Working in partnership with hosts, we enable businesses to build capability while providing young people with the opportunity to gain real-world experience and confidence for their future careers.
