CLET RPL is Helping Military and Police Transition with Confidence!

Are you planning a life beyond military, police or emergency services?

The day you leave your service position, whether it be police, military or emergency services is rarely the start of your transition.

Usually, you have started to think and plan life beyond the service a long time before this, and have spent a good period of time in some turmoil about your decision.  This could be based on medical reasons, could be based on family pressure, but often it is based on simply having no choice but to go, yet struggling with the decision because you do not know what you are going to do when you leave.

But what you do know for certain is often one thing.  You have to leave.  Whether this is your doing or not, is usually not significant.  What has the greatest impact is not knowing what is next.

Since 2006, I have been providing recognition or prior learning (RPL) for police, military and emergency services personnel to ensure your knowledge and skills are formally recognised and you can transition into a new career with more confidence.  I am currently conducting research in this area, and many of you or your colleagues have actively participated in the process.

I thank you for this.

Research tells me that you may find the following things when you leave:

• People do not understand what it is like to have been in your role
• People do not know how hard it is to move from an action job to a more sedate position
• People cannot see that even better work conditions do not always contribute to job satisfaction
• People do not know what it is like to give up a lifelong career and be expected to just start a new, and often, less significant job

But the same research also tells me the following:

• You have extensive skills and knowledge that you have developed during your time of service
• These skills are transferable to civilian qualifications with the right support
• Transition is not easy, but it will get easier with time
• People do not understand what you know and you need to be prepared to learn to tell them in civilian language
• You will need some help

With 18 000 police, military and emergency services accessing CLET’s services in the past seven years alone, I have had the pleasure of speaking with 1000s of you as you make your transition from service into the civilian world.

You are not alone.

I would encourage you to consider the services offered by CLET.  Let us help translate your skills for the wider workforce.

The CLET RPL Team is always available to help.  I am available to speak with you personally at any time if you need more information or to help you understand the transition process better. 

Kate Martin

Director and RPL Team Leader