12 August 2019
Chloe Backhouse is undertaking her Certificate III in Business Administration at Camden Council. When she started her traineeship in September 2018, she was working in the Property Services team. Recently she has moved into the Customer Relations team.
One of Chloe’s highlights of her traineeship has been the opportunity to working in two different teams. She has also enjoyed getting the chance to be involved in other Council community events and workshops.
“Council asks the trainees to help out with things like Bounce Town and the NAIDOC celebrations, which has helped boost my confidence,” she said.
Chloe has had exposure to other teams and divisions within Council, which has helped with her understanding of how the organisation works.
“Getting to help out other teams within Council and getting an understanding of what they do has been a highlight as well,” she said.
Chloe’s role in the Customer Relations team has seen her grow and develop many skills, including her phone etiquette, use of different Council systems, prioritising tasks and time management. She answers many calls each day and is responsible for the team’s phone statistics, as well as managing the Companion Animals Register, weekly petty cash and community hall bookings.
Chloe’s supervisor, Karli Fairclough, has watched her grow in confidence, especially in managing phone calls.
“Chloe puts herself out there each day to take waste calls without being asked, as she understands the positive impact that has on the rest of the team,” Karli said.
‘She overcame her reluctance to speak to customers over the phone and she is now dealing with calls that come in for our kerbside collections with confidence, which helps the whole team.”
With many responsibilities on her shoulders, the support Chloe has from staff within Council has helped her greatly in her traineeship.
“Knowing that I am supported by numerous people here, so if I am struggling with something, I know that I can go to someone for help, even if they are in a different team,” Chloe said.
“I have had my highs and lows [throughout the traineeship] but since I know I am supported here I feel a lot more comfortable to speak up if I do need help.”
