Year 11 student, Zahli Drummond, is making every post a winner as one of the first group of BSSC students to take part in the Head Start program. Head Start is a State Government initiative giving students the opportunity to complete their secondary school qualifications while gaining valuable on-the-job training and experience.
Zahli is employed two days a week as a trainee at Be.Bendigo and is loving the experience.
“Be.Bendigo are great to work for,” Zahli said. “I work on the front desk, so I’m the first person people meet when they come through the door. It’s been a great learning curve.
“I also take phone calls and work on memberships which includes spreadsheets and data entry.”
The program has been a win win. Be. Bendigo Chief Executive, Dennis Bice, believes Head Start is a great opportunity to get younger people involved and learning about business.
“Zahli is a wonderful addition to our team,” he said. “She brings great enthusiasm to her role and is already performing at a high level. I think Head Start will encourage more employees to take a punt on young people and offer mentoring and training.”
Zahli still doesn’t know what she’ll do after completing Year 12, but feels that Head Start has already opened doors for her.
“For me it’s been an opportunity to put my VET Business studies into practice in paid employment,” she said. “I’d highly recommend it to anyone who wants to get real world experience and still finish Year 12.”
