Speaker 1:

Okay, alright, great.

Brett:

How’s this for technology? I’m going to try to recall my full report.

Speaker 1:

I know, sounds a bit fancy, doesn’t it?

Brett:

Oh, my God.

Speaker 1:

I know, I know. Great, well, Brett, thank you so much for giving me a little bit of your time, I really appreciate it.

Brett:

That’s cool.

Speaker 1:

Kelly said she really enjoyed taking you through the LPL process. Yeah, it looks like you qualified for some really excellent qualifications. So it’s pretty cool.

Brett:

Yeah.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, great. So, Brett, what I would like to know from you is just a little bit about your backstory, in terms of your career, and where you’re at, and how you found out about Churchill, the process, and then where you’re at now.

Brett:

Alright, cool.

Speaker 1:

If you can just start with a bit of backstory, that’d be fantastic.

Brett:

Okay, so with respect to my career in the police force. I left school. Basically I [inaudible 00:01:11]. Straight from school into Victoria Police. I had no, one would suggest, formal qualifications other than HSC.

Speaker 1:

Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Brett:

From there, I spent a majority of my career in operational, well most of the career, in operational areas, doing general duties, specialist policing with respect to coverts, and public order stuff. Throughout my career, within Victoria Police, they get you to do online courses, development training, and everything else that goes with it. You know, throughout those processes, nothing’s really formalized, which would speak to accreditation that could utilize outside of the organization. So you know, you get through the process and you do the training, and you do your online courses, I would assume some other courses, but nothing is ever formalized.

Brett:

So throughout my career, 27 years, I do the laps, progressed from a Constable, Spent Constable to Sergeant, [inaudible 00:02:23] Sargent. I then managed the riots, public order teams within Victoria force. I’ve been deployed everywhere.

Brett:

[inaudible 00:02:35] I had to take ten courses. Around Public order but again. Nothing nationally credited, no sort of [inaudible 00:02:48] courses and such.

Brett:

Ending up in the last year in 2017. Got a young family who’s come on board, a two year old and four year old boy.

Speaker 1:

Congratulations.

Brett:

Thanks. We’ve had a lot of traveling, as part of my role, there was a lot of traveling seriously across the state across Australia in overseas. So the time spent with family became limited so it became a question I guess of work-life balance, having given Victoria Place hundred ten percent throughout my entire career, I started to look for challenges, and I thought of Victoria police.

Brett:

So given my stage in life with respect to finances and everything else, it was a comfortable time to retire from Victoria Place, so left Victoria Place with the thoughts and the idea that I would be a stay-at-home dad, a retired sort of partner that could spend a lot more time with the family.

Brett:

So I left in September last year, walked out of Victoria Police and I always knew, because I’d gone straight from school into Victoria Place, you know, had no trade to fall back on … I had no formal qualifications that could be utilized outside of the organization. So retired, three months later sort of found myself wanting with respect to career full-time work again, started looking around.

Brett:

And that’s when I realized I guess a lot of jobs out there in the private sector are now requiring as a minimum diplomas, Advanced diplomas, accreditation the formal accreditation that you get, you know, I guess for doing courses and going to University. And that’s when I sort of stepped back and thought I’ve done all this stuff but I’ve got nothing really in the hand to show the big employers and I applied for a few jobs with different people and different companies and my covering later outlined the stuff that I had done within Victoria Police. However, I was finding that a lot of them still wanted to see formal qualifications, you know that bit of paper.

Speaker 1:

What sort of qualifications were you applying for?

Brett:

I was doing a lot of applications for local government, state government, more centered around the private security sector. So they’re all looking for things like as a minimum, that government investigations, the primary governments, the work of [inaudible 00:05:50] the work health and safety certificates and all those sort of things and you know, albeit they’re able to see that I had actually done it first hand with within Victoria Place, the processes and administratives are doing quite a bit of paper. So, you know quite often that wasn’t uploaded into those application process.

Brett:

They would just go [inaudible 00:06:14] and rejected. A lot of the feedback I got was along the lines of we appreciate all the experience you’ve got, however, management needs a formal qualification. So yeah, I sort of stepped back it off it up. Okay, I’ll give it a go. I sort of got a little bit, not angry, but a little bit [inaudible 00:06:40] within your organization. If you’d all these courses, online stuff, that had to be done to be able to [inaudible 00:06:48] and do all the [inaudible 00:06:50] to rework and advanced leadership something else, but it’s getting nowhere outside. One day, by sheer fluke, I noticed a post on Facebook, just from a totally unknown person to me, first popped up about recognition for prior learning Churchill education. My wife pick it up to start with and we looked at it and thought okay. Yep. No worries.

Brett:

And the thing that triggered or was most attractive about the Churchill education RPL processing and [inaudible 00:07:32] of that matter was that they specialize in police and military.

Speaker 1:

Okay.

Brett:

Because to me that’s sort of my thought processes was that you know, what sounds like these guys or seems like these guys at Churchill education will be aware of what police do we do and what they don’t do for that matter? Look, I’ll throw my hat in the ring and see what happens.

Brett:

It was even more attractive, but after a very brief conversation with Kelly that the whole process seems fairly streamlined and that you guys do the assessments of you know of my training background all for free and then come back to me with hey, this is what your what we believe you’re entitled to or what you can achieve, that was very attractive.

Brett:

It was very succinct with respect to what I had to produce. To my surprise. I had a little bit of understanding of the RPL process given that you know throughout the Victoria Police could achieve some RPLs for different beats, but they really needed, it was my understanding that it all would have to go over and over and above, you know producing all this work to achieve the uphill.

Brett:

So after speaking to Kelly, very surprised that I had to basically produce something to substantiate the rank and length of timing in the police force and that if I could produce a training history, as well, then, that would be great.

Brett:

So I contacted my HR at [inaudible 00:09:18]. They were able to do a screen dump of my training history and change into service document and one additional document approved, the specifics to provide for, you know, the rank of which I left. Forwarded it up, and within no time to my surprise came back with some substantial accreditation, diplomas and so forth. I hadn’t even thought of I would achieve based on what I had submitted. Not saying that my position was minimal. What I’m saying is that clearly Churchill education knows police processes, police training, and can adapt. Or figure those into the accreditation process.

Speaker 1:

Good, so did that mean that it was a smooth process for you?

Brett:

Very very smooth, very very simple, stepping through the whole process to start with was really positive, stepping me through, you know, be there by my side, I guess virtually through the process was very very easy and a credit to the company and then of course what came back was what you see there on my file, seven or eight mixes between diplomas, advanced diplomas and certificates.

Speaker 1:

And I hear that you’ve just become eligible for our newest qualifications as well. J

Brett:

Yeah, so again, I’ll touch on that one just shortly but the process came back. Obviously there is always a cost. You know that what I believe the cost is if it was produced or supplied by Kelly, I believe that to be a fair and valid cost. It didn’t seem astronomical, and you know a simple question is you know, how does this cost come about? Kelly stepped through and it made sense.

Brett:

That whole kind of process was easy, rotation process was easy, even right down to the offer to come up and graduate which I didn’t take up. I would suggest now if I had my time again, for that many accreditations I probably would come up and participate in the graduation process.

Brett:

So nothing else other than you know, I have seen photographs and so forth that has being produced as a result of some of the graduations … things are just the mementos I lost in the track first time-

Speaker 1:

Well, it’s nice to celebrate achievement isn’t it? And you know, it’s just you’re getting the qualification and you know, no you didn’t do a an actual, you didn’t do it as in a tertiary course, but instead of did it in the course of your career. And so you earned it.

Brett:

Exactly right. That whole process was very smooth. The payments went through very smoothly. There was simple options. That was very easy, right down to receiving the actual certificate. Fully embossed, signed, breakdown, so they came digitally and physically if that makes sense, you know, as you get the documents themselves, which was great.

Brett:

I certainly didn’t expect or even, and it’s probably something I didn’t actually even inquire about as to whether I would ever get a physical certificate, you know, they were all great and then what came out of that is telling you also, spoke about the upcoming, or at the time, they were in the process of the … Churchill education was in the process of being accredited to be able to offer the diploma of police Public Safety or something.

Speaker 1:

Yep.

Brett:

Is that what it is? [inaudible 00:13:43] acknowledge as to that process, and yep, no worries and sometime down the line, I think probably [inaudible 00:13:54] Kelly’s reached out and said, hey Ben, it’s you know, it’s ready. Do you still want it? And even that itself is a very pleasant experience. Kelly still, or you guys still have the file that I’ve used up there.

Brett:

You know, she said she’s put that through to the assessors to see you know, whether that meets the criteria, if anything else needs to be done then she’ll tell me about that as well. So that’s been really really good. I guess, this is a big plus. You know, for the company I guess.

Brett:

Anyone that I speak to now, so I’ll go back a bit, after I achieve those results, in mid-March, whatever it was this year, a job came out. Sorry. I uploaded all those qualifications on my LinkedIn profile. Which works really really well, was the result of having these qualifications, I’ve even had a company under Australia reach out to me and offer a regional [crosstalk 00:15:07] role, which is really a State managers role in Victoria. On the basis of my work history and qualifications.

Speaker 1:

Wow, that’s fantastic, it wasn’t even a position that you expressly apply for; they contacted you?

Brett:

They contacted me and then when I went through the application process and as a result of that application process I received the role, which has been really really rewarding.

Speaker 1:

Great.

Brett:

So. Yeah, exactly that that role has now expanded to to be district manager of Victoria Tasmania and South Australia.

Speaker 1:

Congratulations, Brett, that’s fantastic.

Brett:

So it’s been really good and part of my role is recruitment, training, mentoring, a part of our Network in those states, which basically consists of poison emergency services and military personnel.

Brett:

So we [inaudible 00:16:09] personnel as our network of responders. So what comes with that, they’re both kind of been serving personnel … current and ex-servicemen and police emergency service. So what comes with that, on meeting regularly with former and current members and a lot of the time I get from these guys and girls that are you know, I’ve left the police force or I’ve left the military, and I’ve got nothing, I spent ten years and I’ve got nothing to show for it, you know, and I want all hey.

Brett:

Hey. Hey roll it back a bit guys. Have you thought about RPLs, and know what? And I you know, I relay my story with respect to the process that I went through and they are flabbergasted. They can’t believe firstly how easy the process was, especially those in the police force because I can talk to them in real terms with respect of what they need to produce, this is how I did it, and the military are also astounded and certainly taking up that bit of advice so I’m able to pass that on and that story that I tell, it’s every … especially with ex, former police emergency services, is a godsend because you know, they say to me, Gee, you’re kidding me. After all those online courses that we did that were mandatory.

Brett:

You had a supervisor sit across the shoulder, you know pressing through that right or wrong, but you have to do it before you went on the road, it was a pain in the butt, that thing is these guys and girls are all like Oh, God, you’re kidding me. You’ve got all of that? And I’m like, yeah.

Brett:

Obviously, you have to pay. It’s not exorbitant moneys.

Speaker 1:

Well, it’s actually the cost of actually going and studying it isn’t it and also, you know the time that you would put into going and studying it. So Brett when did you get your qualifications? And when did you get contacted on LinkedIn?

Brett:

By Mid March. I paid in mid March, and then I started … I got reached out probably a week to ten days later and started the role early April.

Speaker 1:

Wow, that is sweet.

Brett:

And I’m not saying, you know, that it’s a direct result of the accreditation, however, that accreditation provided gifts and substance to my LinkedIn profile which you probably already know everyone, at least nowadays, goes to LinkedIn before they go elsewhere because it’s about giving jobs to people that come with a little bit of credit.

Speaker 1:

And the reality is we’ve seen conditions like the level that you’re at, if you’ve come from defense and police, it’s as though those worlds have their own qualification standards and then when you come out and go into civilian or other government departments, you then nationally recognize qualifications and the standard aren’t they?

Brett:

Yes exactly. So it’s worked really really well because as you say everybody understand I sort of Advance [inaudible 00:19:43] that’s basically the hierarchy is of that chance as indicated in the system.

Brett:

And that’s what they are all looking for nowadays, and I do laugh when I see other people’s profiles or recruits come past my desk and it’s like, you know for a simple bit of time not long and as I said, I think I came across the whole process, may have taken a month at the most, you can have some substantial qualifications, so that’s worked really really well.

Speaker 1:

So Brett, the role that you’re in now compared to the role that you left in police. Did it mean an increase in the salary that you are earning.

Brett:

Yes.

Speaker 1:

Great. So is it more than what you spent on the RPL qualifications?

Brett:

Yes. Yes, right exactly. And you know there is that other aspect of the tax deductible component, I guess that they offered as well. That is also a positive, you know short-term pain for long-term gain, I guess you know what you think is potentially tax-deductible down the track.

Speaker 1:

How’s your new position working out in terms of work life family balance.

Brett:

Work-life balance is great. It’s start from home and finish from home. It’s Monday to Friday, it’s on call work at times but given the level of my role, it’s more about managing your network. But as I said, what better to start from home, finish from home. I do a little bit of travel.

Brett:

Given that Tasmania and South Australia are an hour flight away, I do it all in one day. So I go to Tasmania, do the business and then come back in the same day and [crosstalk 00:21:40] I’ll probably travel once every six to eight weeks. It’s good for the family because it gets everyone sort of the way.

Brett:

The working hours are flexible so that my wife, who’s still working full-time can still do that, we can work together rather than send everyone out to day care or send them out to nannies.

Speaker 1:

Are your kids two and four now?

Brett:

Two and four now. All this happened this year. Two and four. I got another one on the way that’s due in January.

Speaker 1:

Congratulations, wow. Life’s pretty peachy, that’s great.

Brett:

Yes. Yes, exactly. So, as I say, you know, it’s a success story, when Kelly reached out and said, you know, would you be open to it, more than happy. It’s something that both my wife and myself, I wouldn’t say sell to other people, but we would tell the story, you know, because a lot of people even serving members are going, Are you kidding me? You did that?

Brett:

All you got to do is just take the time and it’s not about producing a whole lot of documentation, a whole lot of things that are outside of your reach, couple simple phone calls everything was sent up via email. The process itself could not be more easy from a student end of it.

Speaker 1:

I would imagine too, from my perspective, being in the marketing department and not being in the assessment team, when I look from the outside in I think it must be really good for people that have come from police and defense who, it was all based pretty much on your experience and your skills and not so much on actual courses and pieces of paper that you can produce.

Speaker 1:

It must be good to be dealing with people who get that background, you know, given that we’ve got, you know, X defense and X police, people on a team.

Brett:

They’re just so much easier [inaudible 00:23:57]. Supervisor’s course. Because given that the guys in the assessment team are obviously well aware of it, they can … A to B and end result. So it works really help.

Speaker 1:

That’s great. Well, Brett, it’s really nice to talk to you. What a happy story. You must be feeling pretty happy with life. And do you know, is number three going to be a boy or a girl?

Brett:

Girl this time. This one’s a girl.

Speaker 1:

And what are the other two?

Brett:

Two boys.

Speaker 1:

Two boys, and now you’re having a girl. That’s nice, isn’t it?

Brett:

Yeah, you know what it’s like.

Speaker 1:

Yeah. Yeah. I’ve got two boys and of my sisters has three boys. And our little sister had one boy so all boys, and then at the start of this year she had a girl. So one little granddaughter.

Brett:

But she’ll be spoiled rotten. The only girl in the family.

Speaker 1:

She totally will. Yeah. Oh, thank you Brett. So, just to finish off with we’re always looking at ways that we can improve. Do you have any feedback on what we might have been able to do to improve our service?

Brett:

Not really, given that I haven’t experienced anything else and look, I’m aware that there are other education providers out there that have done a lot [inaudible 00:25:24]. I guess to a degree what I see or what I look at is, some of them have gone. Too common. Does it make sense?

Brett:

You know, like you see click, for example, I see click everywhere. Whatever provider that is.

Speaker 1:

Where do you see them?

Brett:

All over LinkedIn always around and when I say I see them, I see them in the bit of providers that RPLs do a lot of people.

Brett:

I don’t know whether Waters is down, but it’s okay, but I sort of sit there and I was sort of think some of the people that I was especially some of the people that I’ve sort of looked at during the recruitment process I thought, how did they manage to get that when clearly they can’t demonstrate it? Does that make sense?

Speaker 1:

Yes. It does.

Brett:

Not that I am saying … it’s certainly not from Churchill. But I guess if anything, maybe just be mindful of that within your business, you know, it’s easy if all these people are producing the right documentation and so forth.

Brett:

I don’t know how you would ensure.

Speaker 1:

I do completely know what you’re talking about. And our assistant [inaudible 00:26:43] are very conservative and do often say no to certain qualifications when people say well but and this other provider will give it to me and certainly part of the Churchill qualifications is that yes you absolutely need to be able to demonstrate capacity. Capability, rather.

Brett:

Yeah. I certainly haven’t got anything that obviously could be done better. So as I say, it was a smooth process, it was informative throughout the whole process, it is easy to be able to produce what paperwork requested now. It all worked well.

Speaker 1:

Thanks Brett. Now are you happy for me to use your full name in the case study?

Brett:

Yeah.

Speaker 1:

All right, great. And do you happen to have a photo of you that you would be happy for me to use in the article?

Brett:

Yeah, I’ll probably send it through to you your email. I’ve got one that I use that’s on my LinkedIn profile that I’ll just … it’s a smart photo so you can use that.

Speaker 1:

Yep, that would be fantastic. Thanks so much for your time Brett.

Brett:

So just for PR, you’re gonna show what I did put all that into real words, and .. do I get a review of that before?

Speaker 1:

Absolutely, I will write it, and before I make it public, I’ll send it to you, and you can tell me if you want me to change anything and I’ll only publicize it once I get your okay.

Brett:

Not a problem. And that’s on your website obviously.

Speaker 1:

It will be on the website. Yeah, so once it’s done it’ll go off on our blog and then I’ll share it on our social media platforms and send it out to our email contact.

Brett:

Done.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, great. Okay. Thanks for your time Brett and congratulations on number three on the way.

Brett:

Thank you.

Speaker 1:

Yeah. Thanks Brett.

Brett:

Super, bye.

Speaker 1:

Bye.