Ascent Knowledge Solutions

About Us

Ascent Knowledge Solutions (AKS) is a dedicated Registered Training Organisation (RTO) and the trusted partner for advanced technical and operational training in Australia. Established as a subsidiary of Ascent Pty Ltd, a leader in engineering, project, and risk management since 2016. We leverage deep industry expertise to directly address critical skills gaps highlighted by the National Defence Strategy.

We specialise in high-impact, complex technical fields, delivering both accredited and non-accredited VET and professional development courses to the Australian Defence Force, defence industry, and the broader engineering sector. Our core offerings include Australia’s first VET-accredited Certificate IV in Configuration Management (CM), comprehensive expertise in explosives and blasting, and specialised programs like our Decision-Making Courses and Foundations in Rocketry.

Driven by an acute demand for qualified professionals in these vital national sectors, our commitment is to equip your workforce with practical, high-quality knowledge and skills. We achieve this by utilising highly experienced Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) to ensure all learning is safe, compliant, learner-centered, and directly applicable to achieving strategic objectives and fostering unparalleled capability and enduring excellence.

Management Team

  • Deb Degabriele

    RTO General Manager

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    Deb is an education and training expert with over 25 years of experience, including two decades in adult vocational education (VET). Her robust background, underpinned by qualifications including a double degree in Education and completion of the AICD course, provides the strategic leadership essential for AKS.

    Deb’s career within the Defence Force, one of Australia’s largest RTOs, gave her an unparalleled understanding of VET compliance, governance, and quality assurance. She was instrumental in the end-to-end design, development, and auditing of both accredited and non-accredited programs across diverse packages (including DEFEXO, MEA Aeroskills, TLI, and PUA). Beyond Defence, her experience as a Global Training Lead for a major SAP ERP project and her work across international markets showcase her ability to scale and manage large-scale, innovative training initiatives. Recognised for her outstanding achievements in education (including a Conspicuous Service Cross), Deb ensures AKS operates with the highest standards of quality and compliance.

  • Scott Davids

    Training Compliance and Governance Manager

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    Scott holds the role of Training Compliance and Governance Manager, bringing extensive experience as a System Safety Officer from his Defence background.

    This expertise, which includes managing Safety Management System risk logs and conducting detailed weapons delivery systems risk assessments, provides a robust safety and risk management lens over all AKS operations. Scott’s primary focus is to establish and audit the specific safety and compliance requirements for AKS’s high-risk explosives and blasting courses.

  • Anita Briedenhann

    Training Operations and Development Manager

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    Anita assumes the role of Training Operations and Development Manager, bringing over 30 years of highly accomplished experience in education, evaluation, and large-scale project leadership.

    Anita spent five years as the Learning & Development Manager on the Defence Explosive Ordnance Professionalisation Framework (DEOPF). In this role, she was responsible for designing and developing complex courses that successfully integrated national VET Units of Competency (UoC) with Defence-specific technical content. This deep expertise in curriculum development, training needs analysis, and managing training systems ensures that AKS’s Blasting/Explosives and Configuration Management courses are developed with the highest standard of instructional design and technical rigour. Anita is responsible for ensuring seamless management of student administration, quality assurance, and compliance oversight for the RTO.

Trainers & Assessors

  • Reece Twible

    Trainer and Assessor

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    Reece is a seasoned consultant and trainer who brings a critical 30-year blend of high-level Explosive Ordnance (EO) operations and certified Configuration Management (CM) expertise to AKS.

    During his career in the RAAF, he served as a Base Armament Manager and Regional EO Services Inspector, responsible for the safe operation, storage, and regulatory compliance of all base EO activities.

    Reece is a Certified International Configuration Manager (C.I.C.M.). This expertise, combined with his experience in technical writing and through-life support for complex aerospace weapons systems, is crucial for delivering the Certificate IV in CM and related complex documentation and change management units. As a Primary Instructor and curriculum contributor for Defence EO training, Reece’s dual technical and instructional expertise guarantees that all AKS courses are informed by the highest standard of technical and regulatory competence.

  • Mark Gorsuch

    Trainer and Assessor

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    Mark is a pre-eminent Explosive Ordnance (EO) expert with a 43-year career in the operational execution, safety governance, and training of EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) and IEDD (Improvised Explosive Device Disposal) disciplines. His deep, sustained experience makes him an essential subject matter expert for all Blasting and Explosives courses.

    Mark holds the highest Australian Defence Force EOD qualification and a current NSW Explosives User Licence (BUEL). As a Primary Instructor and curriculum developer for Defence EO training, Mark’s expertise guarantees that AKS’s Blasting and Explosives courses are informed by the highest national standard of instructional and technical safety expertise.

  • Matthew Allwood

    Trainer and Assessor

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    Matt is a highly specialised technical expert who brings a critical dual expertise in Enterprise Configuration Management (CM) leadership and extensive Explosive Ordnance (EO) operational experience to AKS.

    He currently serves as the Configurational Manager Functional Lead (CMFL) for the Guided Weapons Explosive Ordnance (GWEO) Enterprise, where he leads CM assurance and governance across multiple Special Program Offices. His certified and advanced CM qualifications are crucial for the delivery of the Certificate IV in CM, confirming mastery over all core CM processes and related quality and change management units.

    Matthew’s practical depth is derived from 19 years of Defence experience, including service as an Armament Technician and EOD Team Member in Afghanistan. He is qualified as a Demolition Operator and an IEDD Operator, confirming mastery of operational blasting units and complex risk assessment. His unique combination of developing RAAF EOD training and setting EO configuration governance for GWEO ensures AKS’s course delivery is informed by the highest standard of regulatory and instructional expertise.

  • Pete Lynn

    Trainer and Assessor

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    Pete is an elite industry expert in Blasting and Explosives whose extensive qualifications and operational experience significantly exceed the requirements for all listed VET Units of Competency.

    His expertise is grounded in a Master of Science (MSc) in Explosives Ordnance Engineering and cemented by a distinguished 22-year career in the RAAF. Peter held the highest levels of Technical Authority as an EO Safety Adviser (EOSA) and Senior Design Engineer (SDE), directly responsible for the safety, integrity, storage, and handling of vast explosives inventories.

    This high-level technical oversight is seamlessly integrated with deep practical operational competence:

    He is a qualified Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technician and Demolition Operator. He led the RAAF EOD capability and executed high-stakes operations during NATO deployments. This unique blend of engineering mastery and critical field experience ensures he is fully capable of training and assessing operational units, including specialised areas. As a Chartered Professional Engineer (CPEng) and Member of the Institute of Explosives Engineers (MIExpE), Peter guarantees that AKS’s training is delivered by a subject matter authority who sets the industry standard.

  • Garry Warrander

    Trainer and Assessor

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    Garry is the RTO’s leading Subject Matter Expert (SME) on the chemical, industrial, and regulatory aspects of energetics, establishing scientific rigor across all Blasting and Explosives courses. His extensive career is centered on explosives research, development, and manufacturing, backed by a PhD and academic background in Chemistry.

    His technical proficiency in Experimental Design and Energetics Development is paramount for delivering advanced content, ensuring scientific rigor, and assessing the specialised unit DEFEXO123 (Conduct explosive trials).

    Garry’s core strategic value lies in his extensive experience in manufacturing scale-up and Process Safety Management. He is the key SME for the Ascent and AKS Explosives Safety Management System, guaranteeing compliance and informed delivery of systematic risk and safety units. As a Chartered Chemist (MRACI-CCHEM), Garry ensures the RTO’s training content is underpinned by the highest scientific and industrial standards. He also holds a Dangerous Goods Transport License.

  • Ryan Esam

    Trainer and Assessor

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    Ryan is a seasoned explosives industry leader and the Founder and Managing Director of Rurex and the Byrock Explosives Test and Evaluation Centre (BETEC). His expertise is built on over 25 years of continuous experience, beginning with ‘boots-on-the-ground’ roles as a Shotfirer and Superintendent across national and international quarry, mine site, and construction projects.

    This deep, practical foundation ensures comprehensive mastery of fundamental and advanced blasting operations. This operational competence is complemented by nearly a decade in high-level strategic management as a General Manager at Davey Bickford, demonstrating his proven ability to successfully integrate technical, safety, financial, and logistical criteria crucial to teaching and assessing. Ryan’s current role as the head of Rurex and BETEC elevates him to a national authority on advanced explosives applications. He provides independent UN/STANAG testing, research, and disposal services to the civil, mining, and Defence sectors. This unique position at the forefront of regulatory compliance and cutting-edge research, including the conduct of explosive trials, ensures the RTO’s capacity to deliver the highest-level specialised content. Ryan guarantees that AKS’s training is informed by the most rigorous standards in safety, technical precision, and regulatory compliance.