Trainees Support for our Organisation
AGPAL, or the Australian General Practice Accreditation Limited, is an organisation that provides accreditation to various healthcare providers. Primarily general practitioners, they started with GP’s and have since expanded their services to include other healthcare providers. AGPAL’s National Manager of Education and Innovation Cynthia Tait is responsible for coordinating all internal and many external client training.
[IMAGE: Cynthia Tait]
Cynthia chats with us about the benefits of working with a Trainee and how Trainees can support organisations.
Recently, AGPAL had the opportunity to work with Trainee Taryn, and it was a positive experience for the team. Cynthia has a background in teaching and believes young people have capabilities beyond what they are typically asked to do. AGPAL provided Taryn with the chance to get her foot in the door, and she has proven to be a valuable member of the team.
Taryn’s day-to-day tasks include reviewing and providing feedback on resources and assisting with the collation and printing of workbooks. As well as participating in team and client meetings, and video creation. Taryn’s contributions have been appreciated, and she has become an integral part of the team.
“Having support when we really needed an extra person on the ground to get things done was crucial. For example, when we had to do the production booklet. If she hadn’t been there that day, it would have been much more challenging, we wouldn’t have sent it off in time.” – Cynthia
Cynthia was initially wary of hiring a Trainee. But working with Taryn has made them realise that young people who want to succeed and gain experience are serious about their goals. AGPAL has included Taryn in all aspects of the team. Including using Asana to manage project tasks and including her in Skype internal chats.
“Yeah, she’s across everything.“
The recruitment process was an opportunity for AGPAL to build trust and ensure the success of the Trainee.
“It has been a great experience, and it made me realise that AFL SportsReady had a legitimate process. It wasn’t going to be that we were going to be thrown someone that we had to babysit. It is hard when work is already busy, but I am really happy to have a Trainee here. I appreciate understanding how her time with us fits into her school schedule and VET courses.”
“We take our role in Taryn’s traineeship seriously. We understand the opportunity to be a critical part of a young person’s successful transition to employment, and value the chance to support Taryn be a part of our team, working with team members who are keen to share their perspectives, offer interesting tasks to complete and mentor and support her.”- Cynthia
Taryn is not just a ‘new hire’ to us, but a mentee who benefits from guidance and support to succeed.
One significant benefit of hiring a Trainee is the additional support they provide when the organisation needs an extra person to complete tasks. Taryn’s cultural perspective and willingness to engage have also been valuable to the team.
“The Trainee has provided us support for our oranisation when we really needed another person on the ground to do stuff. Her cultural perspective, insight and willingness to engage and look for ways to be a part of things have been invaluable.
I think the biggest thing for me is realising that there is potential in young people. The Traineeship program has shown me that there was another way things could be done for our organisation” – Cynthia
AGPAL’s experience with Trainee Taryn has been really positive, and they recommend other organisations consider hiring a Trainee. It’s a win-win situation for both the organisation and the Trainee. As the organisation gets additional support, the Trainee gets a chance to gain valuable experience and grow in their career.
Hiring a Trainee is an investment in the future, and AGPAL looks forward to continuing with the AFL SportsReady Trainee program. Cynthia would happily have another Trainee in the future and is looking forward to meeting their next new AFL SportsReady trainee team member.
[IMAGE: Cynthia Tait with AFL SportsReady Field Officer Jordan Morrison]
Are you looking to add a Trainee to your team?
WHAT ARE TRAINEESHIPS?
Traineeships are paid, employment and education training programs that give young people a nationally recognised qualification.
Follow us
