Meet Our New Skills Recognition Advisor

We are very happy to announce that Amanda Smith has joined Churchill Education as our newest Skills Recognition Advisor. Amanda brings extensive customer service and sales experience, along with a swag of other great skills.

Amanda has been through a number of career transitions in her lifetime, which gives her a first hand insight into the crossroads we all find ourselves in.

After high school Amanda went off to university and completed a Bachelor of Arts, majoring in Psychology. With that she started in youth work focusing on drug and alcohol rehabilitation.

Still a youth herself, what she really wanted was to explore the world. Not having the spare cash to do the backpacking thing she joined Qantas instead.

What was initially a two-year plan rolled into 20!

During her time at Qantas Amanda worked both in the air as a cabin supervisor, and also on the ground in Human Resources – handling training and recruitment.

She then went on to do a range of adventurous things, including merchandising and running her own retail homewares business right here in Samford.

But don’t think you’ve got Amanda pegged just yet. She also worked as a buyer for a garden centre, moving heavy pallets of stock in a hot environment. It was heavy work, and she was not afraid to get in and get her hands dirty.

Amanda’s Passion for RPL

Amanda says she is passionate about helping people to get the recognition they deserve through RPL (recognition of prior learning) because it’s something she wishes she had known about during the critical transition points in her career.

“When I left Qantas, all I had to show for 20 years and a number of different roles was a scrappy piece of paper that stated my start date and my end date.”

She had no qualifications that meant anything to anyone outside of Qantas, and therefore no formal way of proving what she knew, what she was capable of, or what she was worth.

Find out what you are eligible for

“My identity is very much connected to my work, so when I wasn’t employed it affected my self-esteem,” she shares.

Many of us can empathise with this feeling. When you meet someone new, the first question asked is often, “What do you do.”

Amanda explains, “RPL is so much more than qualifications. Yes it sums up the skills and knowledge you’ve earned over the years, but for me it’s all about your identity, self-esteem and confidence.”

She says qualifications gained through RPL say to a prospective employer, “I’ve achieved X, and here’s how I can prove it.”

Many of our clients agree that not only are their qualifications integral to getting through to interview in the first place, they also give them added confidence when they walk into that interview – proof to themselves and others that they are worthy and capable.

“I do honestly believe without the help in terms of turning my experience into tangible evidence, I wouldn’t be where I am today.” – Ken Carter, RPL Graduate

We are very fortunate to have Amanda as part of the team. She brings care, insight, understanding and most importantly life experience to the role of Skills Recognition Advisor. If you’d like to find out what qualifications you might be eligible for through RPL you will be in excellent hands with Amanda.

You can arrange a preliminary assessment by completing the form on this page. You can also call 1300 793 002 or email her directly: amanda@churchilleducation.edu.au

And in case you were wondering, Amanda did manage to see the world and have some fantastic adventures. But she says her favourite adventure during that time was working with a team that helped fund an orphanage in Thailand for Aids orphans.

Spotlight on: Diploma of WHS

Demand for WHS professionals continues to rise, making this one of our most popular qualifications.

Turn your career experience into qualifications with Recognition of Prior Learning.  Apply for a free assessment today!

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