Ally Engle and Merranda Poole have each received an award at the AFL SportsReady awards ceremony in Brisbane. Engle took out the Chris Johnson Cup award and Poole received the Host Plus Rising Star award.

Over the past 12 months, both women have been undertaking Certificate III in Business traineeships in conjunction with the Western Downs Regional Council.

Poole said that they had no idea that they had been nominated for awards. “The first I knew about the awards was when I saw my name on the nominations list, so of course I was thrilled to know that I’ve been doing a good job,” she said. “The awards evening was fun, plus I had the chance to meet with some of the AFL team that have helped mentor me during my traineeship.” She added that, “winning this award has given me more confidence in my work and I appreciate the opportunities that I’ve received, both from Council and AFL SportsReady.”

Engle says that the traineeship has set her up well for the future. “I worked really hard to complete my study units a couple of months early as I was eager to move into a more challenging role,” she said. “I’ve enjoyed being part of a very busy team and I’m looking forward to learning so much more about the large region that the Utilities department looks after, working as an Infrastructure Services Administration Officer.”

Western Downs Regional Council Mayor Paul McVeigh says that he is very proud of Council’s youngest achievers. “Both young ladies have excelled in their work over the past year and have now taken on positions with Council since finishing their traineeships.”Β Poole received a trophy at the awards evening, and Engle has been invited to participate in a week-long program of events between Cairns and Bamaga at the tip of Cape York for the Chris Johnson Cup tournament.

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