Catching up with Australia’s first qualified payroll professional

Perth-based Melissa Van Welie, who is responsible for a 350 employee payroll at Force Equipment, has become the first qualified payroll professional in Australia after completing the nationally accredited Certificate IV in Payroll Administration.

I always said that I would hand deliver the certificate and transcript to the first person to complete the Certificate IV qualification. So I was thrilled to recently visit Melissa and her colleagues at Force Equipment in Forrestfield.

Force Equipment provides mining equipment maintenance services and earthmoving equipment hire for the mining and construction industries.

I asked Melissa what had changed the most for her since starting her payroll studies.  She said that completing the Certificate IV has given her a confidence in her skills and knowledge of the payroll function. 

“When my general manager asks me a question, I now feel completely confident that I’m giving him correct information and the qualification has been great for my profile in the business,” Melissa told me.

Ben MacKinnon, CFO at Force Equipment, was justifiably proud of Melissa’s achievement and sees the qualifications as good for employers looking for payroll talent.

Another Perth-based business, RSM Bird Cameron, also has a team member completing the Certificate IV. David Price, the director of finance and accounting, says that when he next recruits for a payroll position, he will be insisting on a Certificate IV or Diploma graduate.

So can I add hearty congratulations to Melissa, our first Certificate IV graduate, on successfully completing the program. We look forward to watching your career progress and working with you into the future.

Tracy Angwin is the founder and managing director of the Australian Payroll Association.