After 13 years in the police force, Campbelltown licensing sergeant Michelle Glasgow had enough of being a first responder. But her transition to another career was anything but smooth.
“I really struggled with what to do following the police force,’’ she says.
Then Ms Glasgow found out about the Beyond the Badge career transition program.
After graduating from the program, she obtained a leadership position at a women’s domestic violence support service.
Ms Glasgow credits Beyond the Badge for helping her understand how to apply her skills to her new role and regain her confidence.
“Beyond the Badge played a vital role in rebuilding my confidence and helping me harness the skills I had earned and how to apply them in a new setting outside the police force,’’ she said.
Ms Glasgow was one of the first graduates of the Beyond the Badge program, which was run for the first time in Campbelltown last year.
Wests Group Macarthur, Ingleburn RSL and Campbelltown Catholic Club joined forces with Beyond the Badge to help local first responders transition to alternative careers.
They are doing it again this year, collectively chipping in $22,500 through ClubGrants to fund the three day career transition program for first responders.
Each club will host a program from next Tuesday, October 11 and registrations are now open to current and former first responders.
This year the program has been opened up to defence force veterans.
“We are so incredibly grateful for the commitment of funding from our local clubs,’’ said Sean Haran, co-founder of Beyond the Badge.
Wests Group Macarthur chief executive officer Daniel Perkiss said: “Wests Group Macarthur is honoured to be a supporter of the career transition program.
“This is an incredibly worthy cause, to a highly valuable target audience and we feel very strongly about taking care of those that have spent a career taking care of others,’’ Mr Perkiss said.
Click here for all program details and dates and an enquire-register link.
