How Army veteran found his spark with Energy Queensland

Since 2019, RSL Queensland has secured more than 50 highly desirable apprenticeship positions for veterans with its employment partner, Energy Queensland.  

The 50th veteran, Brady Knox-Horton, shared with us his experience of the RSL Employment Program and what it means to have secured an apprenticeship with Energy Queensland. 

Brady Knox-Horton secured an apprenticeship with the help of RSL Queensland's Employment Program

Looking for a purpose 

After transitioning out of the Australian Army, Brady felt a bit lost.  

“I joined straight after I left school in 2015 and immediately did a vehicle mechanic apprenticeship,” he begins.  

“I left the Defence Force in late 2021 and decided to do some other studies towards a Bachelor of Education, but quickly realised teaching wasn’t for me.

“So, I felt pretty lost at the start. I didn’t quite know what to do; I felt like I didn’t have much of a purpose, which was hard.”

It wasn’t until Brady stumbled across advertisements about the RSL Employment Program that things began to look up. 

“I remember seeing these Facebook or Google ads from the RSL Employment Program about a veteran like me who did an apprenticeship with Energy Queensland. I never met him, but I felt like I knew him,” he says. 

Brady says the Employment Program supported him throughout the application process 

“I wanted to know what it was all about, so I reached out.”

Brady says the RSL Employment Program team got back to him instantly and informed him of the apprenticeship and dates for the next intake. But the support didn’t stop there.

“I thought they were just going to tell me about the intake dates, but my employment consultant also provided me with extra support throughout the whole application process,” he says.  

“I had no idea what I needed to study or what the questions were going to be like in the aptitude maths tests, so my employment consultant provided me with lots of practice questions and topics, which really helped me out. I would have been lost without that support. 

“I also didn’t have a resume, so they helped build one with me, too.” 

Ready for a new beginning 

Equipped with a detailed resume and thorough understanding of the application process, Brady felt ready and excited to apply for Energy Queensland’s apprenticeship in June 2024.

“I’d heard about Energy Queensland being a great place for a long-term career. Just coming from Defence and being used to the support and structure of a big institution, I figured Energy Queensland would be a good fit,” he says. 

“And once you complete your apprenticeship, there’s so many pathways you can take. Having that sort of flexible career progression was important to me.”  

 Before embarking on his civilian career, Brady served in the Australian Army from 2015 to 2021

In October that year, Brady received the news he got the job.

As he looks back now, Brady credits the RSL Employment Program with setting him up for success and encourages other veterans to reach out.

“I think anyone who is ex-Defence and looking for another career or apprenticeship should go through the RSL Employment Program, especially if they’re a bit older,” he says. 

“For a mature-age apprentice like me, that support you’re provided with throughout the application process is so important. You even have the opportunity to speak directly with the recruiters with other veterans. It felt almost personalised in a way.” 

Energy Queensland Apprentice Program Development Coordinator Dan McGaw says the partnership with RSL Queensland signifies the organisation’s commitment to honour veterans’ service and acknowledge their skills.

“The partnership represents our genuine commitment to supporting those who have served our country by creating real career pathways for veterans in the electrical trade,” Dan says.

“Veterans bring with them a unique set of skills, such as discipline, problem-solving, teamwork and resilience – all of which align with our apprentice program.

“It is more than just employment. It’s about honouring service with opportunity and helping veterans transition successfully into civilian life with purpose and support from the leading apprenticeship program in Australia.”

Learn more 

Available nationally, and delivered by RSL Queensland, the free RSL Employment Program helps veterans and the partners of veterans and current serving Defence members find meaningful employment.

For more info, visit RSL Employment Program.