What Career seekers does

CareerSeekers (legal entity: CareerSeekers New Australian Internship Program Limited) is an Australian registered charity and Item 1 Deductible Gift Recipient organization founded in 2015 by Michael Combs. The organization operates a two-sided matching platform connecting humanitarian entrants (refugees and asylum seekers with tertiary qualifications) with paid 12-week internship opportunities at Australian employers, addressing the structural catch-22 facing humanitarian entrants who cannot secure professional employment without local experience.

The organization runs two core program streams: a Student Internship Program for university students from refugee/asylum seeker backgrounds (operating in Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide, and Brisbane universities), and an Experienced Professionals / Mid-Career Internship Program for qualified professionals seeking to restart their careers in Australia. Supporting services include a five-day Pre-Employment Training program and a Working with Refugees Employer Briefing. The organization also convenes the Article 23 Partnership, a coalition of 21 organizations launched in December 2018 and committed to creating over 500 employment opportunities for humanitarian arrivals. Employer partners include GHD, Lendlease, Westpac, CBA, EY, Macquarie, Macquarie Group, Norton Rose Fulbright, Ashurst, Baker McKenzie, CPB Contractors, and others across engineering, construction, financial services, legal, and government verticals. The organization reports a 96% interview success rate and 80%+ retention at GHD beyond the initial internship period.

CareerSeekers generates no direct service revenue; the model is funded by tax-deductible donations (processed via GiveNow) and employer-funded paid internships (employers cover intern wages but incur no placement fees). The organization operates offices in Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane, serving NSW, Victoria, Queensland, and South Australia. It is governed by a board chaired by Penny Graham with directors from EY, Norton Rose Fulbright, Westpac, UTS, Queensland Department of Justice, and the Victorian Multicultural Commission, plus an advisory committee including SEEK's former CEO Ian Narev.

Name

Career seekers

Legal name

CareerSeekers New Australian Internship Program Limited

Website

https://careerseekers.org.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CareerSeekers is an Australian non-profit charity that places humanitarian entrants (refugees and asylum seekers with professional qualifications) into paid 12-week internships at Australian employers, operating Student and Mid-Career programs across four states via a 21-organization Article 23 Partnership coalition and 90+ employer partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Workforce Inclusion / Refugee Employment Services

NAICS

Vocational Rehabilitation Services (624310), Employment Placement Agencies (561311)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Immigrant & Refugee Workforce Integration Programs (EDAAAOAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Apprenticeships, Internships & Work-Based Learning Programs (BPACANAK), Career Services & Career Readiness (EDALABAB), Workforce & Career Transition Noncredit Programs (EDAAAEAC), Work-Based Learning Programs (Internships, Apprenticeships, Community-Based Instruction) (EDAKANAF)

Keywords

• Refugee internship programs
• Humanitarian employment services
• Nonprofit workforce inclusion
• Diversity hiring programs
• Paid internship placement

Headquarters

HQ city

Sydney

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: CareerSeekers is a registered Australian charity with Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR) status. The organization relies on tax-deductible donations from individuals, corporations, and philanthropic foundations. Gifts of A$2 or more are tax-deductible in Australia.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

CareerSeekers is an Australian non-profit that places refugees and asylum seekers into paid 12-week professional internships with corporate and government employers. It operates two core streams — a Student Internship Program for university students and an Experienced Professionals (Mid-Career) Internship Program for qualified humanitarian entrants — plus the Article 23 Partnership coalition that commits 21+ organisations to 500+ employment opportunities. Programs are free to participants; internships are funded by employer partners.

Product overview

CareerSeekers is a non-profit social enterprise that operates as a matching platform connecting humanitarian entrants (refugees and asylum seekers) with professional internship opportunities. The organization offers two core programs: the Student Internship Program for university students requiring paid 12-week internships during study breaks, and the Experienced Professionals Internship Program (Mid-Career Program) for qualified professionals seeking to restart their careers. Supporting services include pre-employment training and employer briefings. The Article 23 Partnerships program engages corporate partners in a long-term commitment to create employment opportunities. All programs are free to participants and provide paid internships, local experience, professional references, and networking opportunities across fields including construction, engineering, accounting, finance, business administration, HR, IT, and project management.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Student Internship Program Paid 12-week internship program for full-time university students who are asylum seekers or refugees. Placements occur during university breaks (summer/winter) and provide industry experience, professional networks and career insight across Science, Engineering, Commerce, IT, Law and Arts. Free to participants.
• Experienced Professionals Internship Program (Mid-Career Program) Paid 12-week full-time internship for recently arrived refugees and asylum seekers with tertiary qualifications and 2+ years professional experience from their home countries. Provides local Australian experience, professional references, and industry networking to help restart professional careers. Fields include construction, engineering, accounting, finance, business administration, HR, IT, and project management.
• Article 23 Partnership Program Coalition program named after Article 23 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights that unites 21 employer organisations in measurable, long-term commitments to create 500+ employment opportunities for humanitarian entrants. Launched 10 December 2018.
• Pre-Employment Training (Internship Preparation Program) Five-day comprehensive workplace readiness training program for participants covering workplace culture, professional norms, communication skills, and scenario-based learning for real workplace situations.
• Working with Refugees Employer Briefing Briefing for employer teams hosting CareerSeekers interns that prepares them for working with humanitarian entrants, addressing cultural considerations and common workplace challenges.

Quantifiable outcome

• 96% interview success rate for CareerSeekers participants put forward for employment
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Partnerships

34 partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• GHDcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 December 2018GHD is a leading professional services company with 9000+ employees that has hosted 9+ CareerSeekers interns across Sydney, Melbourne, and Adelaide offices. Participants work on major infrastructure projects including Snowy Hydro 2.0. GHD has extended employment beyond the 12-week internship for over 80% of CareerSeekers participants and maintains a highly focused diversity and inclusion program.
• LendleasecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConstruction and infrastructure company hosting CareerSeekers interns on projects including the Level Crossing Removal Project and Digital Engineering team. Multiple success stories including Sabrin Abdalla (Civil Engineering internship) and Alber Echanaa (Mechanical Engineering, permanent role).
• WestpaccoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor Australian bank (32,000 employees) that began working with CareerSeekers in 2015. Started with retail business and expanded to HR, marketing and other units. Provides executive sponsorship and dedicated resources for the program.
• CommInsure (CBA)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInsurance arm of Commonwealth Bank where multiple CareerSeekers participants including Hilda have secured permanent employment as teleclaims consultants.
• CPB ContractorsmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor construction contractor hosting CareerSeekers mid-career professionals including Nawar Jallo who described the internship as 'a golden ticket into the world of business.'
• Commonwealth Bank AustraliamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of Australia's largest employers with extensive business units that has hired CareerSeekers participants through CommInsure and other divisions.
• DM RoadsmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRoads maintenance and construction company where Titar completed an internship in the accounts team and continued to work after her internship ended.
• EricssonmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTechnology company where Diane Samaroo (Senior HR Manager, SE Asia and Oceania) drives CareerSeekers participation as Chair of the Diversity and Inclusion Council.
• Herbert Smith FreehillsmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal law firm that has hosted student interns from refugee backgrounds, including Jamilla Shirzad who called her internship 'an amazing opportunity to get hands-on experience and insight into how a top tier firm operates.'
• NSW Department of Primary IndustriesmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment department where Khalid interned in the soils unit at Elizabeth Macarthur Agricultural Institute and later secured a full-time role with NSW Department of Planning and Environment.
• Novartis PharmaceuticalsmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPharmaceutical company where CareerSeekers participant Nibal secured contract employment after interning in the same department she was interested in.
• opr Agency (formerly Ogilvy PR)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLeading Australian PR agency where Jalal completed an internship as accountant and was offered a permanent position after an extended internship.
• CareerTrackerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRelated organization founded by Michael Combs that supports pre-professional Indigenous university students. CareerSeekers evolved from the CareerTrackers model adapted for multicultural diversity and humanitarian entrants.
• City of SydneymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal government organization committed to hiring CareerSeekers participants, with CEO Monica Barone noting the positive impact of helping people 'start a proper life.'
• Fulton HoganmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEngineering and infrastructure company where Sarah Marshall (Executive General Manager - People, Safety and Sustainability) has witnessed the business case for working with humanitarian entrants, noting they 'bring maturity, a willingness to work, as well as technical capability.'
• WPPmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal communications services company providing internship opportunities for CareerSeekers participants.
• EYmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal professional services firm providing accounting, consulting, and advisory internship opportunities for CareerSeekers participants.
• Macquarie GroupmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal financial services group providing internship and employment opportunities for CareerSeekers participants.
• AccionamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal infrastructure and renewable energy company providing engineering and construction internships.
• AECOMmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInfrastructure consulting firm providing engineering and project management internships.
• Baker McKenziemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal law firm providing legal internships for CareerSeekers participants.
• Clayton UtzmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAustralian law firm providing legal internships and employment opportunities.
• Norton Rose FulbrightmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal law firm providing legal internships for CareerSeekers participants.
• AshurstmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal law firm providing legal internships for CareerSeekers participants.
• OptusmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTelecommunications company providing IT and communications internships.
• TransurbanmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInfrastructure company managing toll roads, providing engineering and project management opportunities.
• MirvacmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIntegrated real estate company providing construction and property development internships.
• Department of Health (Vic)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVictorian government department where Wisam interned as IT Project Officer before securing a contract role.
• Laing O'RourkemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational construction company providing engineering and construction internships.
• John HollandmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEngineering and infrastructure company providing construction and engineering internships.
• McConnell DowellmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEngineering and construction company providing infrastructure project internships.
• DownermajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEngineering and infrastructure company providing diverse internship opportunities.
• WeBuildmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal construction group providing major infrastructure project internships.
• Article 23 Partnership NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition of 21 organizations united on 10 December 2018 to make measurable, long-term commitments to include humanitarian arrivals in employment strategies. Named for Article 23 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Committed to creating over 500 employment opportunities while providing a diverse talent pipeline to partners.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• MTC Australia: MTC Australia is a national employment services provider delivering job-active, disability employment, and community programs across Australia. It is directly comparable to CareerSeekers as an Australian employment services non-profit with similar employer-partner-driven matching, though operating at greater scale and across broader population segments.
• AMES Australia: AMES Australia is a Victorian non-profit providing refugee and migrant settlement services, including employment programs. It is directly comparable to CareerSeekers as a refugee-employment-focused organization operating in overlapping Australian geographies (especially VIC) with similar participant and employer partner dynamics.
• Settlement Services International (SSI): SSI is a leading NSW-based non-profit delivering settlement and employment services for refugees, migrants, and asylum seekers. It is directly comparable because it combines refugee employment support with employer-facing programs in the same geographic market as CareerSeekers and serves an overlapping humanitarian entrant population.
• Brotherhood of St Laurence: Brotherhood of St Laurence is a Melbourne-based social justice organization running employment, education, and advocacy programs including refugee-focused initiatives. It is directly comparable to CareerSeekers because it combines refugee employment support with research and policy work targeting systemic barriers, overlapping with CareerSeekers' mission-driven approach.
• Refugee Council of Australia: The Refugee Council of Australia is the national peak body for refugees and asylum seekers, providing advocacy, policy, and some employment-related support. It is directly comparable as an Australian refugee-focused organization addressing the same population, though it is primarily advocacy-driven rather than running a structured internship matching program like CareerSeekers.
• CareerTrackers: CareerTrackers is the sister organization founded by the same founder (Michael Combs) running a parallel internship program for Indigenous Australian university students. It is the most directly comparable peer because it uses the same 12-week paid internship model, the same founder pedigree, and a structurally similar participant-to-employer matching framework adapted to a different marginalized population.
• Talent Beyond Boundaries: Talent Beyond Boundaries is an international non-profit that connects refugees with employers globally, focusing on skilled refugees unable to work in their host countries due to legal or economic barriers. It is directly comparable to CareerSeekers because both operate a refugee-to-employer matching model with structured corporate partnerships, but operates at international scale rather than within a single host country.

Emerging players

• Hireup: Hireup is an Australian tech-enabled platform connecting people with disability to support workers. It is partially comparable because it applies a mission-driven matching model to a different marginalized population in Australia, demonstrating how tech-enabled matching can be built around community impact, but operates in disability services (NDIS) rather than refugee employment.

Broad incumbents

• SEEK: SEEK is Australia's largest online employment marketplace and a former employer of Advisory Committee member Ian Narev. It is broadly comparable because it operates in the same employer-candidate matching space CareerSeekers addresses, though at vastly greater scale and with a generalist rather than refugee-specific focus.
• Indeed Australia: Indeed is one of the world's largest job search platforms with significant Australian operations. It is broadly comparable as a broad-based employment-matching incumbent whose scale and technology pose a long-term competitive threat to CareerSeekers' human-curated refugee matching model if it ever launched a refugee-focused vertical.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/100064373785106
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/careerseekers-new-australian-internship-program

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles22 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds4 records

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Career seekers