Now, nearly a year later, Ms Trimboli has blossomed into a confident young woman, ready to enter her adulthood and further employment.
Ms Trimboli is one of 15 Aboriginal students across north-central Victoria to participate in Ganbina's prestigious youth leadership program.
“Ganbina is really good, it's really like a support system,” she said.
Her ANZ traineeship was organised through employment agency Maxima, and complements the skills she is gaining as a young Aboriginal leader.
Currently juggling two part-time jobs in hospitality while completing her final year of high school at Greater Shepparton Secondary College alongside her school-based traineeship at ANZ, Ms Trimboli has become a stranger to free time.
“I'm doing a Certificate II in business, and then I've been on tellers here,” she said.
“I've improved with communication, talking with other people, and that's really important.”
For Ms Trimboli, that had been her favourite part of the traineeship, as well as the relationships she has formed with the staff at the branch.
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ANZ branch manager Michael Harbor said the traineeship program had been running for the past six years, to foster workplace and life skills among eager young students.
“A few graduates have gone on to employment with ANZ, others have had families and found their way back in,” he said.
“The modules are quite extensive for their training, and we support our trainees wherever they'd like to go off in the world . . . you walk away with life skills, and that's really important.
“For me, it's what I enjoy about the job - I have 13 staff and love to coach, improve and mentor them - to see them from when they first start out to becoming fully capable.”
Mr Harbor said it had been rewarding to see Ms Trimboli blossom during the nine months she had been with ANZ.
“As a school-based banking consultant, Talia has been given exposure to the transactional side of things, and life skills - talking to customers, dealing with money, on a deeper level than you'd get at other jobs,” he said.
“I noticed even in a short time she's grown, when she first started she was shy but she's taken a leap and engaged with customers.”
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Starting last October, Ms Trimboli will be finishing up her traineeship at the end of the year, when she will hopefully be able to take a much-needed breath.
“I don't really have much spare time to do anything else, I suppose I am pretty driven,” she said with a smile.
As for her bright future?
“I'm not 100 per cent sure yet, I'd like to work with youth,” she said.
“I'd love to be an Aboriginal liaison officer, but we'll see.”
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