Q&A with Trinity Preston, Compliance Administration Officer, Orange City Council
Sometimes, a single opportunity can set the course for an exciting and rewarding career. For Trinity Preston, a traineeship with Orange City Council provided the chance to gain hands-on experience, build new skills and discover a passion for local government.
Since joining council, Trinity has embraced every opportunity to learn and grow, taking on new challenges and expanding her knowledge across the organisation. Her drive and enthusiasm have not only helped shape her career but also earned her recognition as the 2026 NSW Trainee of the Year.
We spoke with Trinity about her career journey, the value of a council traineeship, her recent award success, and how local government has helped her develop both personally and professionally.
Q: Can you tell us a little bit about your career journey so far?
A: I worked at Coles for about seven years and moved up to a supervisor role while I was studying performance and theatre at university. In my third year I decided it wasn’t for me, so I quit my job and university and took the first job I could find, as a telemarketer for a charity organisation. I quickly realised there was no personal growth and I wasn’t going anywhere. Then, the traineeship with Orange City Council popped up. It was the right place, at the right time.
Since then, I’ve been through about five different positions with council. I started as a Work, Health and Safety and HR Trainee, and picked up a temporary relief role as a Building Services Administration Officer two days a week. I finished my traineeship early and secured a permanent position as a Compliance Administration Officer. I also assisted at the pound as a Pound Administration Officer and then on Fridays in a different department as Administration Officer for building and environment. I’ve been through quite a few changes, but it all looks good on my resume, so I don’t mind!
Q: Speaking of traineeships, can you tell us what a traineeship is and what made you decide to apply for one?
A: A traineeship is when someone joins the workforce and they get paid to learn on the job as well as secure a Certificate or another qualification in a certain area.
When I was a telemarketer, I realised my work wasn’t aligned with my personal values. So that’s when I was proactively looking for something new. I never envisioned doing a traineeship but as soon as I saw the job pop up, I realised that this wasn’t another job for me, it was a career opportunity. It was just perfect timing. I literally received the news that I got the job on Christmas Eve – a little Christmas present for me!
Q: Was there anything that attracted you to local government?
A: When I was looking at the position, immediately I was like, cool, I can give back to my community. This is where I live and I would want to contribute to it. I want to work with people who also have that same goal in mind and the residents who also have the same goal of wanting to make the community better. That’s what attracted me the most.
Q: What did your day-to-day look like during your traineeship at Orange City Council?
A: My traineeship was mainly with Human Resources, and Work, Health and Safety, so a lot of my day-to-day was balancing my workload between two very different areas. Work, Health and Safety was very reactive. If something popped up suddenly, I’d have to manage my workload around it.
In saying that, my day-to-day was always very different, and I never knew what to expect. The only thing that I knew to expect on a month-to-month basis was that I had the responsibility of doing Volunteer Work, Health and Safety Inductions. Beyond that, I was consistently asking what can I do next and how else can I help? I was very proactive in seeking new activities to do and learn new things.
Q: How supportive was your council during the traineeship?
A: My council provided amazing support. I’m a straightforward person, so I told them from the get-go: if I’ve done something wrong, tell me straight away. But you’ve got to have a proactive mindset to reach out and ask for feedback. The opportunities they gave me were amazing, but you’ve got to be the one to take them. At my three-month performance review, I said I wanted to explore different areas to see what I’d like. Soon after, they offered me relief duties in another area that needed someone. It’s that proactiveness of seeking out something new.
Q: When did you have a moment where you knew this was the right career for you?
A: It was around the six-month mark. Because my traineeship was only 12 months, everyone kept encouraging me to apply for a job within council. That’s when it hit me that my traineeship was going to finish soon, and I started to panic, because I really loved the people I worked with and the work I did.
As a trainee, you expect to be put in a corner and only spoken to when someone needs something, but it was the complete opposite. I felt very valued. I realised then that I was on the right path, and the next step was figuring out where I wanted to provide my support.
Q: Now you’re a Compliance Administration Officer. What does your role involve?
A: As a Compliance Administration Officer at Orange City Council, I assist with the implementation of new policies and procedures, and I also support the Manager of Compliance and the supervisors of the rangers, the pound and Environmental Health Officers. It’s a very diverse area.
This role is actually a brand new role. I was able to make the role my own, which is such an amazing opportunity, and I feel people don’t get to do that very often.
Q: You were recently named Trainee of the Year for Western New South Wales Regional Training Awards and then New South Wales Trainee of the Year. Can you take us back to the nomination and the moment you heard your name announced as the winner?
A: The process to become New South Wales Trainee of the Year started in January this year, so it’s been a long time coming. It was a self-nomination, but I had to have someone I work with endorse me for the award. That was a little bit difficult because as any person or Australian person, we’re very humble people, so to talk good things about myself was a struggle. But I felt like I had earned it. I did an interview to get to regionals and I won, and then I did a state interview and won. It was a very long process, but it was definitely worth it because I met some amazing people along the way.
Hearing my name announced on stage, I felt like I finally deserved this. After everything that has happened in my life, the trials and tribulations, it was finally my time. I felt very honoured and I felt very deserving.
This (the awards) shows what we can achieve through local government and the amazing opportunities that I was given working with Orange City Council.
Q: Where would you like to see your career in local government take you into the future?
A: I could see myself in a leadership position or management position, but I could also see myself in a training or mentoring position. I’m most comfortable being the person people come to when they need to know how to do something, and I’m there to guide them. That’s the direction I could see myself going in.
Q: What do you hope people take away from your story?
A: I hope people take away that mindset will take you places. If you’re a trainee now, don’t see it as something temporary or just as a job. See it as the start of your career. Once you start thinking of it as a career, you will start asking how do I make this a career? Or where do I want to go with this now?
Interested in a career in local government? From traineeships and entry-level roles to leadership positions, councils offer diverse opportunities to build a career while contributing to the communities around you.
Whether you’re just starting out, or looking for a new challenge, a council rolecould be the opportunity you’ve been searching for.
Explore the wide range of career areas in local government:
https://www.careersatcouncil.com.au/career-areas/
