Cadet to Career

View some inspiring stories from some of our previous Cadets and their journey into professional careers here at Shellharbour City Council.

Wayde Peterson 
Executive Director, Business Enterprises 
Former Civil Engineering Cadet 

"I had the privilege of becoming Shellharbour Council’s first engineering cadet in January 2000. I initially worked within the Technical Services team providing design and survey support for small civil construction jobs like stormwater and other small projects. I subsequently moved into the Services Depot where I was guided through civil construction management.

My cadetship experience shaped my professional career and helped me understand the value of working in a learning and growth focused environment.

The broad experience of my cadetship with Shellharbour City Council gave me the flexibility to choose my subsequent professional roles. It was very powerful to have multidisciplinary experience, and even more powerful to use that experience to know what work areas did and did not interest me most. I feel an awesome sense of pride in being provided the opportunity to start my career as a cadet engineer with Shellharbour City Council. I particularly feel a sense of pride in my role in helping transition Shellharbour into the thriving city it has become.

Shellharbour City Council has no doubt come a long way, becoming an employer of choice for the region, having established the heart of the city with the Shellharbour City Centre and now establishing Shell Cove as a project of intergenerational importance. I have great satisfaction in my contribution to these collaborative efforts. The unique thing about Shellharbour City Council is that we quite probably have the most challenging and rewarding portfolio of projects of any local government in Australia.

I feel so privileged to be able to work on the kind of projects I dreamed of as a cadet engineer whilst working with such wonderful and professional people here at Shellharbour City Council.

Using Shell Cove as an example, very few people will get the chance across their entire career to build a harbour and a waterfront community, let alone create an economic catalyst that will deliver tourism, social, commercial and residential outcomes for decades to come. We are very lucky indeed."
 

Abby Anstiss 
Communications Officer 
Former Communications and Media Cadet
 
"My experience as a Cadet was a very positive one. From my first interview, I felt supported and excited at what was to come. This continued throughout my cadetship, which made me very enthusiastic to embrace the opportunity and learn from the people I was surrounded by as much as I could.  During my cadetship, I was exposed to different fields including communication, social and digital media, media, marketing, engagement and events.

I was given skills and experience, transferable in any industry, across all of these areas, and was able to find a particular passion for communications. I'm currently working here at Shellharbour City Council as a Communications Officer.

I felt grateful to have such a supportive manager and team that made me feel incredibly welcome and comfortable to be myself. Although I was in a learning role, I always felt like my voice was valued. I really enjoyed the diversity of work each day and getting to work with people from a range of different specialty areas across council.

Councils Cadetship, Apprenticeship and Traineeships offer a fantastic opportunity, one that I’m very grateful to have experienced. You get to learn and work alongside many talented people that all want to help give you the building blocks to kick start your career."

Bailey Angeloski
Project Delivery Officer
Former Graduate Project Delivery Officer and Civil Engineering Cadet

"My experience with the cadetship program was nothing but exceptional and has only this has continued every year with the ongoing development of the training programs offered, support across Council and job specific training from each team I've worked with.

Personally, every team I have worked with was welcoming and provided a different type of valuable experience. I have a strong interest in project management, and naturally preferred any task or role within the project delivery space, which at Council is supported by the Projects, Asset Planning, Council Services (Depot), Waste and Shell Cove teams.

I valued and learned so much in my rotations through these different areas across Council. Every rotation provided a new type of role with different knowledge, and the best thing to come out of each area were the new connections with people and teams, which I’ve continued to build through all parts of my current role.

These connections are something that is so valuable because they bring a different perspective to how I delivered my work and support each of the different teams I worked with on Projects. The cadetship role helped to equip me with the right skills, industry knowledge and connections to be able to perform to a high and professional standard, and built my knowledge of Local Government immensely.

The graduate role provided a very great bridging opportunity between continued learning and ongoing roles within Council, further developing my skills across many areas. I would definitely encourage those completing a degree to apply for the cadetship program as the advantage of skills and development gained and support provided is hugely beneficial. The cadetship program helps equip the candidate with the necessary experience to transition with experience in the field and create more favorable career opportunities for themselves."

Melissa Paniagua
Strategic Planner 
Former Graduate Strategic Planner and Strategic Planner Cadet
 
"My career at Council began in 2019 as Strategic Planner Cadet, within the City Planning team. As a team we undertake strategic land use planning, development contributions planning, recreation and heritage planning, all of which were very new to me when starting my cadetship!

My cadetship was unique and formative, and I had the opportunity to work within all functions of City Planning. The team around me embraced the learning experience, offering mentorship and trust from day one. I enjoy that my work in the Planning space is varied and often has touch points throughout many different areas in Council and is therefore very collaborative in nature. This has allowed me to learn more about the roles and responsibilities of other teams and Council, while forming strong relationships with diverse teams. I work closely with Assets, Projects and Property officers, the Communication and Engagement team, Parks staff and other Planners.

The collaborative and supportive nature of the staff at Council has certainly shaped the professional I am today and the way I approach my role.   

Upon completion of my studies and my cadetship, I applied for Council’s Graduate Strategic Planner position. The graduate role has provided me with additional responsibilities and opportunities for professional growth. My colleagues have greatly assisted me in the transition from Cadet to Graduate, they’ve remained approachable, offering support, trust and space for me to make decisions.  

My cadetship provided experience in recreation planning, land use planning, development contributions planning and heritage planning and allowed me to develop technical knowledge, and further develop my written and communication skills, alongside time and project management capabilities.  As a Cadet I was responsible for assisting in research, preparation, implementation and review of strategic planning documents, studies and policies. All of which are essential skills in my Graduate role. 
      
Council provides many amazing opportunities to learn and grow in an inclusive, supportive environment. If you are passionate about what you study, and would love the opportunity to contribute to the Shellharbour community, definitely apply for a Cadetship, Apprenticeship or Traineeship at Council."

Last updated : Fri 3 May 2024