When Nihal Pannu first began exploring training and assessment, he had no idea just how significantly it would influence the direction of his career.

At the time, Nihal was working as a labourer in warehousing, wrapping pallets and picking goods. He had no formal qualifications and described himself as having started “from the ground”.

A workplace incident would become an unexpected catalyst for change. After witnessing a forklift incident that affected a team member, Nihal began asking questions about workplace safety and how training could help prevent incidents like it.

Following advice to develop his understanding of training and assessment, Nihal enrolled in the Certificate IV in Training and Assessment with Plenty Training.

Beginning the qualification was daunting. Nihal said he was unsure how he would manage the course and initially lacked confidence in his ability to become a trainer.

However, the support and interaction he experienced throughout the course helped him move beyond those early doubts. “The trainers supported me and encouraged me. ‘Don’t worry. You learn it slowly, gradually,’” Nihal said.

What began as an introduction to training and assessment quickly became the foundation for something much larger.

Following his initial qualification, Nihal continued to build his knowledge across training, workplace health and safety, management, and leadership. He completed further diplomas, licences and a Master’s in Occupational Health and Safety, while continuing to return to Plenty Training for further TAE qualifications and updates.

“I started my journey with the Cert IV in TAE, that expanded my perspective to go to high risk, go to safety, go to management, and now strategic leadership as well,” Nihal said.

Throughout his career, Nihal began delivering training across a broad range of high risk work areas, including rigging, dogging, scaffolding, forklifts and elevated work platforms. He later progressed to teaching Certificate IV level learners and, more recently, Diploma level students in workplace health and safety.

Today, Nihal works in a senior role managing responsibilities across Australia and New Zealand for a railway engineering company.

Rather than simply delivering information, Nihal said his focus has become helping people genuinely understand what they were learning and how it connected to broader workplace culture and safety.

That development has also influenced the way Nihal approaches his leadership role. Despite managing responsibilities across two countries, he continues to personally design training for workers, supervisors, managers and senior leaders.

His recent work has included developing training around principal contractor obligations for senior leadership and creating risk assessment training for supervisors and managers. He has also explored training around duty of care, workplace policies and broader health and safety responsibilities.

For Nihal, this work is no longer something he simply does as part of his job. Training and professional development have become a genuine passion.

His continued relationship with Plenty Training has reflected that commitment to learning. Over the years, Nihal returned to complete further qualifications and updates, citing the learning platform and the support from trainers and administration staff as important reasons for coming back.

“Whatever enquiry I had, whatever issues I had, I shared with them, and they provided me with very good solutions,” he said.

Although his career today looks very different from when he first began working in warehousing, Nihal still views his development as an unfinished journey.

For anyone considering taking their first step into training and assessment, Nihal encouraged them to think beyond where they are today and consider how far continued learning could take them.