For many people, the mechanics and makeup of a computer hard drive are mind boggling, but for Northern Grampians Shire Council’s IT Desktop Services Officer, Matthew Tulloch, it’s all in a day’s work. Armed with a keen interest in computers and all things technical, as well as some tertiary IT training, Matt joined the Northern Grampians Shire as an IT and Asset Management trainee in 2003. Since then, he has become an integral part of the team, installing new systems and helping over 100 Stawell and St Arnaud based Shire employees with their technical queries and problems.
After completing his traineeship, Matt took the opportunity to further his skills and knowledge by undertaking an external training course to become a Microsoft Certified Desktop Support Technician. He studied online in his spare time, evenings and weekends, and is
just weeks away from completing the course. His skills and commitment attracted the attention of the Shire’s People and Performance Department, who nominated Matt for a place in the six month Wimmera Leadership Course.
“We have developed a culture of nurturing our young staff, and aim to give them as many opportunities as possible to further their skills, increase their potential for leadership and climb the corporate ladder,” said People and Performance Manager, Carole Ford.
This theory has been successful on many occasions, with one employee starting as a casual assistant at the Stawell Leisure Centre and steadily working his way up through the ranks over a period of four years to become a team leader in the Community Development Department. With this in mind, Matt knows he is on the right track for success.
“A weekend leadership retreat on 23 and 24 February was an excellent introduction to the leadership course, allowing me to learn more about working with different personalities, find out more about my own limits and expectations, maximise my strengths and minimise weaknesses, and discover tactics to manage difficult situations,” Matt Tulloch said. “I’m looking forward to more training and working my way up through the ranks of Local Government.
“I really appreciate the opportunities and the level of support that Council is giving me to expand my IT knowledge and overall skills. I’m really looking forward to the challenges that lie ahead.
“Local Government has proved to be an ideal career choice, as I have lots of variety in my role, including providing IT support to our staff, managing our desktop fleet, maintaining telecommunication systems, and developing new systems to ensure that the Northern Grampians staff have a solid and stable computing environment.
“I have a large variety of great people to work with.”
