Advanced Diploma of Human Resource Management BSB60320 | RPL
Enhance your career with a BSB60320 Advanced Diploma of Huma...
From 44 Years in Policing to a New Chapter: Cameron’s Story
How Cameron Kirkpatrick Used RPL to Turn 12 Years of Service into a New Career
Police, Work Health And Safety, Council
Highest Qualification Achieved
Key Outcomes at a Glance
Job Level
Sergeant – QPS
Qualification
Diploma of Work Health and Safety
RPL Completion
14 days
Industry
Police, Law Enforcement
Job Level
Sergeant – QPS
Qualification
Diploma of Work Health and Safety
RPL Completion
14 days
Industry
Police, Law Enforcement
Background and Starting Point
Previous Role
Queensland Police Service – General duties police officer, Traffic officer, Commercial Vehicle Squad officer, Task Force officer
Industry
Law Enforcement
At This Point
Cameron had accumulated 44 years of operational, investigative and leadership experience but had few formal qualifications to communicate the full value of that experience to employers outside policing.
Cameron's Journey Begins
1
A Career Built on Experience
Cameron’s policing career took him across Queensland and exposed him to a wide range of responsibilities. After joining the Commercial Vehicle Squad, he travelled extensively throughout the state and developed specialised knowledge of heavy vehicle enforcement. He later continued this work through traffic and road policing units. In 2000, Cameron became a sergeant a position he chose to remain in until retirement because he enjoyed its balance of operational work, leadership and supervision.
2
Taking on Leadership
Becoming a sergeant meant accepting responsibility for junior officers, their performance, conduct, safety and wellbeing. Cameron supervised officers during operations and extended trips across Queensland. He managed resources, monitored performance and ensured his teams maintained the expected professional standards. Although these responsibilities became a normal part of his role, he did not initially see them as transferable leadership and management skills.
3
Reaching Compulsory Retirement
As Cameron approached the Queensland Police Service’s compulsory retirement age, he knew he wanted to continue working but was unsure what his next step would be. Despite his extensive heavy vehicle expertise and experience delivering internal training, he found it difficult to identify where he would fit outside policing. “I never thought that being a police officer for 40-odd years would lead to anything else.”
Why Churchill Education?
Why Cameron Chose RPL with Churchill Education
Cameron wanted formal qualifications that would give greater substance to his work history and help employers understand the capabilities he had developed throughout his career.
Cameron wanted someone to help him understand what his years of experience were worth outside policing.
Had more than four decades of experience but few formal qualifications
Wanted to explore employment opportunities after compulsory retirement
Needed credentials that would support his experience on job applications
Had extensive leadership, supervision, investigation and safety experience
Wanted formal recognition for the work he had already performed
The Turning Point
Cameron’s RPL journey helped him see that his policing career had equipped him with far more transferable skills than he realised.
Phase 01
Thinking About Life After Policing
Cameron began considering his future a few years before retirement but was uncertain where his specialist experience could take him. After 44 years of service, he took six months away from work before seriously exploring his next move.
Phase 02
Discovering RPL
When Cameron explored RPL, he was surprised by the range of qualifications that could align with his experience. Leadership, management, investigations, business operations and workplace health and safety were already embedded throughout his policing career.
Phase 03
Understanding Her Value
Rather than viewing policing as one broad occupation, Cameron began breaking his career into the individual responsibilities he had performed. Supervising officers, managing conduct, meeting performance expectations, planning safe operations, allocating resources, engaging with the community and conducting investigations were all valuable skills beyond policing.
Phase 04
Formal Recognition
RPL allowed Cameron’s existing knowledge and evidence to be assessed against nationally recognised qualifications. The process gave formal weight to responsibilities he had carried out repeatedly throughout his career without requiring him to relearn what he already knew.
Challenges and How They Were Overcome
Every career transition brings uncertainty, particularly after spending more than four decades within one organisation.
The Challenge: Evidence and Doubt
Challenge 1: Understanding What His Experience Was Worth
Cameron initially questioned whether performing similar responsibilities throughout his career was enough to justify formal qualifications.
Like many experienced police officers, he had become accustomed to his responsibilities and did not necessarily view them as specialised skills.
Solution: Mapping Everyday Responsibilities
The RPL process helped connect Cameron’s experience with the requirements of nationally recognised qualifications.
Once his work was broken down into areas such as leadership, investigations, safety and resource management, the connection became much clearer.
Challenge 2: Gathering Evidence After Retirement
One of Cameron’s biggest concerns was finding the evidence needed to support his experience.
Accessing training records, position descriptions and other workplace documents can become more difficult after leaving the police service.
Solution: Using Existing Records
Cameron was able to retrieve his training history and had retained some position descriptions and other records from his career.
These documents helped demonstrate the responsibilities and knowledge he had developed.
His experience led him to recommend that police officers begin collecting evidence two to three years before leaving the service.
Challenge 3: Feeling as Though RPL Was “Cheating”
Cameron initially wondered whether receiving recognition without completing the full study component meant he had not properly earned the qualification.
Solution: Recognising the Work Was Already Done
Once Cameron considered how often he had demonstrated the required skills throughout his career, his perspective changed.
For example, studying how to prepare court documentation would have meant relearning something he had already completed several times a week for decades.
“Why should I have to study it when I did that four or five times a week for 40 years?”
RPL was not a shortcut. It was recognition of learning Cameron had already achieved through years of practical work.
Career Outcome and Impact
Current Position
Sergeant - Queensland Police Services (QPS)
Formal Recognition of His Experience
Gaining nationally recognised qualifications gave Cameron’s work history additional credibility.
Rather than relying solely on descriptions of what he had done, he could support his experience with qualifications that employers readily understood.
A Stronger Position in the Civilian Workforce
Cameron found that applying for positions outside the police service was very different from seeking opportunities internally.
Civilian roles could attract dozens of applicants, making it important to clearly communicate both experience and qualifications.
“You need that edge. I think qualifications give you that edge on top of your experience.”
Pride and Acknowledgement
The RPL process also changed how Cameron viewed his own career.
Formal recognition gave him a renewed sense of pride and acknowledged the value of the work he had completed throughout more than four decades of service.
“It gives you a bit of pride and a little bit of acknowledgement. Somebody or the education system is acknowledging all your hard work and what you’ve done.”
The RPL Experience
More Than Qualifications
Easier Than Expected
Cameron found the process much more straightforward than he had anticipated. He uploaded his evidence through Churchill Education’s secure portal and was contacted if any additional documents or information were needed. “It was really straightforward and easy. The evidence uploading portal was really good.”
Discovering Unexpected Opportunities
One of the most surprising parts of Cameron’s appraisal was discovering how many qualifications could align with his policing experience. Some connections, such as investigations and leadership, were clear. Others became apparent only after examining the full breadth of his responsibilities.
Recognition Without Repeating the Learning
RPL allowed Cameron to demonstrate what he already knew through evidence rather than studying subjects he had applied repeatedly throughout his career. The process recognised that his learning had taken place through decades of practical responsibility.
Skills Police Officers May Overlook
Cameron believes police officers often underestimate how much value their experience holds outside the service.
Communication and Community Engagement
Working with members of the public, other agencies and community organisations develops communication, negotiation and stakeholder engagement skills.
Cameron's Advice to Others
Start Before You Retire
“I would say at least two to three years—get the ball rolling.”
Cameron recommends beginning the process while still serving. Training records, position descriptions and examples of work are generally easier to access before retirement.
Police officers should look beyond the broad title of their role and consider each individual responsibility. “Don’t just look at the big picture. Break it down.”
Supervision, leadership, investigations, community engagement, safety and resource management can all translate into valuable civilian capabilities.
An appraisal does not mean committing to every qualification identified. It provides an opportunity to understand what experience may qualify for and which options could support future plans.
“Reach out. You’d be surprised what’s there and what could be of benefit to you down the track.”
Looking Back: Reflection and Summary
For Cameron, RPL was about more than adding qualifications to his resume.
It was an acknowledgement that his 44 years in policing had produced valuable skills, knowledge and capabilities that remained relevant beyond the Queensland Police Service.
The process helped him recognise that supervising teams, conducting investigations, managing operational safety and serving the community were not simply parts of the job. They were transferable professional skills with value in the civilian workforce.
Prepare Early
Begin considering your next step and collecting supporting evidence two to three years before leaving the service.
Recognise What You Already Do
Responsibilities that feel routine may align with leadership, management, investigations, safety and other nationally recognised qualifications.
Don’t Rely on Experience Alone
Formal qualifications can help employers understand and validate the depth of your experience.
Be Proud of Your Career
RPL is not a shortcut or a way of avoiding work. It recognises the learning and capability developed through years of performing the work in real situations.
Explore Your Options
You do not need to know exactly what comes next before seeking an appraisal. Understanding what your experience could qualify you for may help reveal pathways you had not previously considered.