Tursa

What Tursa does

Tursa Employment & Training Ltd is an Australian not-for-profit Public Benevolent Institution founded in 1994 in Lismore, NSW by Ron Rathborne to address long-term unemployment and labour market disadvantage in regional communities. The organisation operates as a government-contracted Employment Service Provider delivering free employment preparation, job matching, recruitment, post-placement support (26-52 weeks), and vocational training across four core programmes: Workforce Australia (general job seekers), Inclusive Employment Australia (replaced DES in November 2025, for participants with disability/injury/health conditions), Transition to Work (youth aged 15-24 in Brisbane South East), and Training Services through its Registered Training Organisation (RTO: 90325) under the NSW Smart and Skilled programme.

Underlying technology consists of a web-based jobs board, participant portal, and standard integration with government employment services platforms (including Workforce Australia Online for Business). No proprietary technology platforms are positioned as differentiators; the core delivery model is face-to-face, community-embedded service through 39 physical offices from Forster (NSW) to Noosaville (QLD), staffed by approximately 200-250+ employees.

The business model is essentially a managed-services contractor model, with revenue derived from Australian Government contracts under multiple employment programmes. Services are provided free of charge to both employers and job seekers; employers receive access to wage subsidies of up to $10,000 (GST inclusive) for eligible hires, which are government pass-throughs rather than TURSA fees. Vocational training is subsidised via NSW Smart and Skilled. The customer base comprises thousands of disadvantaged job seekers (Indigenous Australians, people with disability, single parents, long-term unemployed, youth, mature-aged workers, CALD backgrounds, early school leavers) and hundreds of local SMEs across NSW and QLD, with the Australian Government as the effective single payer.

Name

Tursa

Legal name

Tursa Employment & Training Ltd

Website

https://tursa.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Tursa Employment & Training is an Australian not-for-profit, government-contracted employment service provider delivering free recruitment, job matching, disability employment, youth, and vocational training services to disadvantaged job seekers and local employers across 39 offices in NSW and QLD.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Employment Services

NAICS

Employment Services (5613), Employment Placement Agencies (561311), Educational Support Services (61171)

SIC

Services-Employment Agencies (7361), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Job Placement, Matching & Career Navigation Services (EDAAAOAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Workforce & Job-Seeker Services (Community-Based) (EDAAAFAM), Incumbent Worker Training & Upskilling (EDAAAOAE)

Keywords

• Employment services
• Job matching
• Disability employment
• Vocational training
• Recruitment services

Headquarters

HQ city

Southport

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices38 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Australian Government Employment Services Contracts: TURSA is a contracted provider of Australian Government employment programmes including Workforce Australia, Transition to Work, and Inclusive Employment Australia. Revenue is derived from government contracts to deliver employment placement and support services to disadvantaged job seekers. Services are free to both participants and employers.
2. Registered Training Organisation (RTO) Services: As a Nationally Recognised Training Organisation (RTO: 90325), TURSA delivers accredited vocational education and training courses, traineeships and apprenticeships, primarily funded through NSW Smart and Skilled programme and Australian Government programmes. Training is provided to participants and employers in industries including Business, Retail, Hospitality, and Employment Services.
3. Community Grants Contributions: In 2025, to celebrate 30 years of operation, TURSA contributed over $1 million through the TURSA Community Grants supporting other small not-for-profit organisations — this is an outgoing community investment, not a revenue stream.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Tursa Employment & Training is a not-for-profit, government-contracted Employment Service Provider that delivers free employment preparation, recruitment, job matching, vocational training and post-placement support to job seekers and employers across NSW and Queensland. Its core offerings are the Workforce Australia, Inclusive Employment Australia and Transition to Work programmes, complemented by accredited training delivered through its Registered Training Organisation (RTO: 90325). All services are free at the point of use, funded by Australian Government and NSW Government contracts.

Product overview

TURSA Employment & Training operates as a service-based employment assistance organization, not a software product. The company delivers four integrated core services: (1) Workforce Australia - government employment program for general job seekers, (2) Inclusive Employment Australia - specialist disability employment services, (3) Transition to Work - youth program for ages 15-24, and (4) Training Services through its Registered Training Organisation (RTO: 90325) providing nationally accredited courses. Supporting these are employer-facing services including free recruitment assistance and wage subsidy management. All services are delivered through 39 physical office locations across NSW and QLD.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Workforce Australia Australian Government-funded employment programme helping job seekers prepare for, find, and retain employment. TURSA delivers Workforce Australia services across Mid North Coast and North Coast NSW, including specialist support for Indigenous Australians and ex-offenders.
• Inclusive Employment Australia Specialist disability employment programme assisting people with disability, injury, or health conditions to find and maintain sustainable employment, with support from Disability Employment Advocates, workplace adjustments, and up to 52 weeks of post-placement support. TURSA delivers IEA across Sunshine Coast, Brisbane, Gold Coast QLD, and Taree/Forster NSW with 18 locations.
• Transition to Work Workforce Australia youth-specific programme for people aged 15-24, delivered in the Brisbane South East region with offices in Woodridge, Beenleigh, and Capalaba. Supports young job seekers to discover career direction and secure suitable employment through the Youth@Werk 6-step model including work experience, training, employer connections and Youth Bonus wage subsidies.
• Training Services (RTO: 90325) Nationally accredited training through TURSA's Registered Training Organisation (RTO: 90325). Offers Certificate III and IV qualifications in Business, Retail, Hospitality, and Employment Services under NSW Smart and Skilled funding, plus traineeships and apprenticeships.
• Free Employer Recruitment Services Fee-free recruitment services for employers including vacancy listing, candidate screening, shortlisting, interview facilities, and post-placement support for up to 26 weeks. Includes access to wage subsidies of up to $10,000 for eligible participants.
• Wage Subsidies Assistance Guidance and management of wage subsidies for employers hiring eligible participants, including Youth Bonus (up to $10,000 for ages 15-24), Parents (up to $10,000), Restart (up to $10,000 for ages 50+), and Inclusive Employment Australia subsidies (up to $10,000 based on hours).

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 200 to 250 staff serving thousands of participants and employers from 39 offices
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, supporting and core.

• Australian Government Department of Employment and Workplace RelationsflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2025TURSA is contracted by the Australian Government to deliver Workforce Australia, Transition to Work, and Inclusive Employment Australia programmes across designated Employment Service Areas in NSW and QLD. The relationship transitioned from Disability Employment Services (DES) to Inclusive Employment Australia in November 2025.
• Local Community Not-for-Profit Organisations (via TURSA Community Grants)supportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025In 2025, TURSA's Community Grants programme contributed over $1 million to small not-for-profit organisations across its footprint to expand their community services and impact. Recipients include Family Support Network, Ballina Men's Shed, Victory House, Maroochy Neighbourhood Centre, and others.
• Disability Employment AustraliacoreOthersTURSA is a member of Disability Employment Australia (DEA), the national peak body representing disability employment service providers in Australia. DEA provides advocacy, policy guidance, and industry standards for disability employment services.
• Amplify AlliancecoreOthersTURSA is a member of the Amplify Alliance, an industry alliance for employment service providers that supports collaboration and best practice sharing across member organisations.
• National Employment Services Association (NESA)coreOthersTURSA holds membership with the National Employment Services Association (NESA), the peak body for the Australian employment services industry, providing representation and policy input.
• ITECA (Independent Tertiary Education Council of Australia)supportingOthersTURSA holds membership with ITECA, representing independent training and education providers in Australia, supporting its Registered Training Organisation activities.
• Services Australia (Centrelink)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerServices Australia administers referrals of eligible job seekers to TURSA's employment programmes including Workforce Australia and Inclusive Employment Australia. Job seekers receiving Centrelink payments are referred to employment service providers.
• NSW Government (Smart and Skilled Programme)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTURSA as RTO: 90325 delivers NSW Government-funded vocational training under the Smart and Skilled programme, providing subsidised training qualifications to eligible participants in industries including Business, Retail, Hospitality, and Employment Services.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• WISE Employment: WISE Employment is a long-established not-for-profit disability employment provider competing for IEA contracts. Shares TURSA's not-for-profit model and specialisation in disability employment.
• MTC Australia: MTC Australia delivers youth employment programmes including Transition to Work and Workforce Australia. Direct competitor in the youth employment segment where TURSA delivers Transition to Work in Brisbane South East.
• AtWork Australia: AtWork Australia is a specialist disability employment services provider delivering DES/IEA programmes nationally. Directly comparable to TURSA's IEA disability employment arm.
• Octec: Octec delivers employment services and RTO training across NSW, with similar Workforce Australia and DES/IEA contracts. Direct competitor in NSW employment service areas.
• Breakthru: Breakthru is a disability employment services provider delivering IEA and related programmes. Comparable to TURSA on the disability employment service line and competes in similar NSW/QLD regions.
• Sarina Russo Job Access: Sarina Russo is a major Australian employment and training provider offering government-funded employment services plus RTO training. Comparable to TURSA's combined placement + RTO model.
• Campbell Page: Campbell Page delivers Workforce Australia, Transition to Work, and IEA contracts across regional Australia. Closely comparable regional employment services footprint and contract mix to TURSA.
• APM Employment Services: APM is the largest Australian employment services provider, delivering Workforce Australia, DES/IEA, and Transition to Work programmes nationally. It is a direct competitor for the same government contracts in every Employment Service Area where TURSA operates.
• MAX Solutions: MAX Employment delivers Workforce Australia, IEA, and Transition to Work contracts across multiple Australian regions. It competes head-to-head with TURSA for the same disadvantaged job seekers and government tenders.
• Jobfind: Jobfind delivers Australian Government employment services including Workforce Australia. Direct competitor for the same contract programmes and disadvantaged job seeker cohorts.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Tursajobs
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/tursajobs
• Instagraminstagram.com/tursajobs

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Tursa