From Combat Engineer to Civilian Opportunity: Rheanna’s Story
How Captain Rheanna Vehlow Turned 13 Years of Army Experience into Recognised Qualifications
Defence“I have a lot of skills, I have a lot of experience, I have a lot of knowledge… but how do I translate that to a potential employer?”
Highest Qualification Achieved
PSP60116 Advanced Diploma of Government
Other Qualification Achieved
BSB50215 Diploma of Business
BSB60619 Advanced Diploma of Work Health & Safety
Key Outcomes at a Glance
A snapshot of how Rheanna’s Defence experience translated into recognised qualifications and future career opportunities.
Army Captain → Exploring Civilian Pathways
Job Level
Advanced Diploma of Government
Qualification
7-14 Days
RPL Completion
Defence → Civilian Opportunities
Industry
Army Captain → Exploring Civilian Pathways
Job Level
Advanced Diploma of Government
Qualification
7-14 Days
RPL Completion
Defence → Civilian Opportunities
Industry
Background and Starting Point
Captain Rheanna Vehlow joined the Australian Army at 17, straight out of high school. Over 13 years, she built extensive experience as a combat engineer across technical, operational, and leadership environments.
Previous Role
Captain, Australian Army (Combat Engineer)
Industry
Defence
At This Point
Highly experienced, but without formal civilian qualifications to reflect her capability.
The Journey Begins
1
Building technical and operational expertise
Rheanna worked across a wide range of complex engineering tasks: "Everything from water purification to bridging to basic construction, demolitions, search... really fun, challenging stuff that is all about problem solving."
2
Stepping into leadership and training roles
She progressed into an instructor role, training recruits across specialist engineering disciplines including demolitions, dive, watermanship and combat engineering.
3
Leading in high-impact environments
Rheanna contributed to major operations including the 2011 Grantham floods: "It was a really rewarding experience, being able to give back to our community and nation so readily." She later deployed to Iraq as a Captain leading a training team, and supported flood recovery efforts in regional Queensland.
4
The turning point - health and reassessment
An unexpected health issue forced Rheanna to stop and reassess: "I felt drained. I had very little personal time or head space... I would come home, collapse and try to turn my brain off. My work life balance is rubbish."
5
The realisation - experience without recognition
As she considered her future, a key problem became clear: "I have a lot of skills... but how do I translate that to a potential employer?"
Why Churchill Education?
Why Rheanna Chose RPL with Churchill Education
Rheanna was referred to Churchill Education by a friend while exploring her options.
At the time, she did not have a clear career direction, but she knew she needed to make her experience count.
Key Reasons
Significant Defence experience without civilian-recognised qualifications
Uncertainty around future career direction
Need to translate Army experience into something employers understand
RPL provided clarity without committing to study
Free preliminary assessment identified multiple qualification pathways
The Turning Point
This is where Rheanna's experience became formally recognised.
Background Journey
Rheanna’s journey highlights how years of real-world experience can be transformed into recognised qualifications. After building a strong foundation in the Army, a turning point led her to reassess her path—ultimately discovering the power of Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) to unlock new career opportunities.
Phase 01
Building Experience in Defence
Rheanna developed leadership, technical, and operational expertise over 13 years of Army service.
Phase 02
Reassessing Direction
A health crisis created space to reflect on her future and priorities.
Phase 03
Discovering RPL
Through Churchill Education, Rheanna learned her experience could be formally recognised.
Phase 4:
Evidence and Assessment
She provided documentation of her Army career for assessment.
"Nick remembered me instantly. That really reassured me. I knew that bloke and I trusted him."
Phase 5:
Qualifications Awarded
PSP60116 Advanced Diploma of Government
BSB50215 Diploma of Business
BSB60619 Advanced Diploma of Work Health & Safety
These qualifications were selected to provide flexibility across future career paths.
Challenges and How They Were Overcome
Every transition from Defence comes with uncertainty - here's how Rheanna translated her experience into recognised qualifications through RPL with Churchill Education.
Who this is suitable for
Challenge 1: Translating Defence Experience
Military experience not clearly understood in civilian terms
Solution 1: Skills Mapping
RPL translated Rheanna's experience into recognised qualifications
Challenge 2: Uncertainty About the Future
No clear direction for post-Defence career
Solution 2: Flexible Qualification Strategy
Chose qualifications that kept multiple pathways open
Career Outcome and Impact
How Rheanna’s qualifications paved the way for a civilian career change.
Current Position
Captain, Army. On long service leave, exploring future career options
Defence SectorImmediate Recognition
Her experience is now supported by formal qualifications recognised by civilian employers.
Formal Validation
Leadership, engineering, and operational experience are now backed by nationally recognised credentials.
Expanded Career Opportunities
Qualifications provide pathways across government, WHS, and business roles
Greater Flexibility
Rheanna is now able to explore different industries and career directions
"Hands on, on the ground as part of a small team... seeing what you create."
The RPL Experience
A supportive and confidence-building process that translated Rheanna's experience into recognised qualifications.
Clear Starting Point
Rheanna’s preliminary assessment identified multiple qualification pathways based on her Army experience, giving her clarity at a time when she was unsure about her next step.
Supportive and Personal Process
Rheanna felt supported throughout the process, with a clear focus on her individual experience and future direction.
Trust and Credibility
“Nick remembered me instantly. That really reassured me. I knew that bloke and I trusted him.” Having an assessor who understood her background gave Rheanna confidence in the integrity of the assessment process.
Confidence and Perspective Shift
“It honestly was inspiring. I thought, hey, you’re right, I can do this. The future just looks a little brighter.” The process didn’t just deliver qualifications. It gave Rheanna confidence in her ability to transition and explore new opportunities.
Rheanna's Advice to Others
Guidance from someone who's gained qualifications through RPL
“I have a lot of skills, I have a lot of experience… but how do I translate that to a potential employer?”
“You don’t realise how much you’ve done until it’s actually mapped out.”
If you’ve built your career in Defence, the challenge is not capability. It is making that capability visible.
Looking Back: Reflection and Summary
Rheanna's journey shows what happens when experience is recognised and translated into something tangible.
After years in demanding roles, stepping back allowed her to reassess what mattered.
“Transition is a very challenging world of unknowns…”
With the right support, that uncertainty shifted.
“It honestly was inspiring… I thought, hey, you’re right, I can do this. The future just looks a little brighter.”
Rheanna
Recognise the Value of Your Experience
You may already have the skills and experience needed for formal qualifications
Solve the Translation Problem
RPL converts experience into something employers understand
Don't Be Short-Sighted
Moments of transition are when recognition matters most
Keep Your Options Open
Rheanna chose qualifications that support multiple career paths
Back Yourself
Taking action now creates more opportunity later "Regardless of what field I want to be in... that's what got me looking into RPL."
Final Thought
Rheanna did not wait until everything was clear. She recognised her experience first and created options second.