Meet Janelle: Certificate IV graduate with Builders Academy
“My name is Janelle Spall, I’m 50, and I’m a customer relationship coordinator for Simonds Homes.”
We had a chat to Janelle Spall, a recent graduate of the CPC40120 Certificate IV in Building and Construction (Building) with Builders Academy Australia. Janelle has made the change from a career in airlines to a career in building and construction. To read about Janelle’s experience and how she made the switch, scroll through the gallery below. Cheers Janelle!
“I have a background in the airline industry but I’ve renovated about seven houses and built one off the plan. I’ve always wanted to get into residential building.
Growing up my dad used to do renovations on the family home. He was always painting or knocking out walls. He wasn’t a builder but he was a handyman, so I guess I got a bit of a taste for it from growing up.”
“I called a recruitment agency and they recommended I get some education. I said ‘what should I do?’ and the recruiter recommended a Certificate IV in Building and Construction. He recommended Builders Academy.”
“I completed the CPC40120 Certificate IV in Building and Construction (Building) at Braybrook. There was a group of about five of us that became friends and we would actually meet outside of course time and sit down and go through things together. We’d help each other out and we’d share notes and share ideas and our work.”
“Being in class was so beneficial for all of us. It was a mix of people. There was an electrical engineer, a mechanical engineer, a guy that does civil works, me with an airline background. We all had strengths that helped in different parts of the course along the way. I found it really helpful.”
“As a customer relationship coordinator I manage the admin process for a person building a home as they go through the steps of of choosing a block of land, the style of home they want, the sales person will put it all together, and then that file comes to me and I am the main point of contact from the beginning until we handover the keys.
People can be involved as much as they like. Some people leave it up to us to manage the process but others are more proactive and keep an eye on what’s happening. Everyone is different.”
“The Cert IV has assisted heaps with my work. The things I learned in the course I see and work with daily. Since finishing the course I’ve been like ‘wow, I remember this’. I’ve found it all completely relevant to my work. The course has enable me to understand the language of the industry better.”
“My favourite part of the job is working with the plans and solving any problems that arise in the development. I find the changes to the plans very interesting. I enjoy conversing with the people responsible for those changes and figuring it out. I enjoy how the whole design comes together as a kind of puzzle.”
“I’m a little bit older than most people and it was a complete change of career. I would imagine that some people would wonder about the fact that I was 50 and coming from an airline background. I think education helps.”
“My advice for anyone getting into building and construction, or making the shift from another industry, is to definitely seek out education. Do a course. Because I think I wouldn’t have got the opportunities I have without taking the advice I received to start the course.”