Building confidence and new opportunities: Mikey’s study journey
Nov 09, 2026
After moving from Canada to Tasmania to build a life with his partner, Mikey Brown was ready for a change in his working life too. Having previously worked remotely in a role adjacent to aged care, he joined Community Based Support (CBS) in search of a more office-based role.
Since joining CBS, Mikey has become a familiar face across the organisation. As a Business Support Officer, his responsibilities span IT, provider agreements, contractor management, facilities and fleet management. He’s also CBS’s Health and Safety representative.
“My role is basically all the things that don’t neatly fit into other roles in business operations,” he said. “IT plays a small part of the role despite people seeing that regularly day to day.”
Mikey brought plenty of practical experience to the position. Before moving to Australia, he worked in a grocery store in Canada before starting his own cleaning business, taking on everything from administration to sales and marketing.
“I started my own cleaning business, which involved doing all the roles within a business from IT to HR to sales to marketing and everything in between.”
Looking to build on that experience, Mikey began exploring professional development opportunities. A colleague suggested a Diploma of Leadership and Management, although he initially had reservations about committing to a full qualification.
“I was thinking more a shorter course rather than a full-blown qualification,” he said. “After looking into it further however, I could see the potential.”
Having gained many of his skills through running a business, he saw the diploma as an opportunity to formalise that experience and broaden his career options.
Two highlights of the course were connecting with people from different industries across Tasmania and gaining a better understanding of Australian workplace practices.
“Being able to network with people from other sectors in the Tasmanian business scene” was particularly valuable, as was learning about “the formal processes of Australian workplaces and the different requirements involved”.
Mikey has already started applying what he’s learned at CBS, including identifying risks, building confidence and providing informal mentorship and support to colleagues. The CBS Study Agreement also helped him balance study with his work commitments.
It gave me the resources and flexibility to attend classroom days and complete the course alongside my work commitments”.
The experience has also changed how he views his own abilities and career prospects.
“I previously thought of myself as a bit of a jack of all trades,” he said. “I now have more confidence in understanding my abilities and skills and can take more ownership of my career and have meaningful input into my work.”
Looking ahead, Mikey is interested in systems improvement, the responsible use of artificial intelligence and continuing to evaluate psychosocial hazards through his health and safety role.
For colleagues considering further study, his advice is simple.
“Do it. Honestly, just do it. Evaluate your circumstances and understand that the investment in time and energy will benefit you both professionally and personally.”
At CBS, supporting professional development is an important part of helping our people grow in their roles and build their careers. We encourage our team to develop their skills, explore new interests and put their learning into practice across the organisation.