School-Based Trainee Saves For Her Future

Proud Aboriginal woman, Kiara Taylor, believes her traineeship with the ANZ bank in Cranbourne is not only providing her with a secure career pathway but has given her a solid income so she can start saving for a car.

“Doing a school-based traineeship helps you get on the track for saving at a really young age,” said Kiara.

“You gain a regular income, plus first-hand experience in a bank and a qualification, all while you are still in high school. So, imagine what you could save up for!” she added.

Kiara took on the opportunity going into year 11 after hearing that her cousin was also completing a traineeship with ANZ.

“I was told I wouldn’t pass VCE, so I wasn’t sure exactly what to do with my career or which direction to go. Then I heard about the opportunity from my cousin, and I knew this was something I couldn’t miss out on.”

As part of her traineeship, Kiara is studying a Certificate II in Business and at the same time she works one day a week at the bank as a customer teller where gets an insight into the finance industry.

“I love the education component and I think it is really important that the traineeship has this as well as the experience because it gives me an understanding of how the business works.

For the practical side of things, I get to the branch at around 8 o’clock in the morning, I deal with the cash, I concierge and I help with anything I can really!”

Even though for Kiara the first few weeks were a little daunting, the support network around her helped her ease into the role in no time.

“From the get-go I was supported and felt like if I had any questions to ask, my team would help me right away. My manager is also a huge support to me and it’s because of this support I have really grown in confidence.”

Kiara feels she is continuously learning new skills in her role. She believes the traineeship is shaping her into a confident young person and preparing her for whatever path she decides to take in the future.

“There are just so many things you gain in the traineeship including, learning to have a routine, time management skills, communication skills plus so many other things. From starting off feeling like I had no direction to now seeing my path clearly, it has been an amazing journey so far!”

Kiara continues to thrive in her role and keeps impressing her host employers at the bank. For the moment Kiarra’s mission is to keep working hard to save for a new car.

“From someone who was told she wouldn’t pass VCE, to where I am now, it is pretty amazing. I can’t wait to see what the future holds, and I definitely can see myself working in the banking industry long term.”