Career Co. & Exact Staff

What Career Co. & Exact Staff does

Career Co. Australia Pty Ltd (trading as Career Co. and Exact Staff) is a 100% family-owned workforce solutions provider headquartered in Port Augusta, South Australia. Founded in 2020 by Emma Di Paolo, the company delivers integrated workforce services to regional South Australia, with primary operations across the Upper Spencer Gulf (Port Augusta, Port Lincoln, Whyalla, Port Pirie) and Adelaide, extending to remote mine sites at Prominent Hill, Olympic Dam, Carrapateena and Peculiar Knob via FIFO arrangements.

The service portfolio comprises four interlocking lines: Recruitment (permanent, fixed-term, executive and specialist placements); Exact Staff, the labour hire division supplying casual workers for day-to-day operations, shutdowns, maintenance programs and project mobilisation at hourly rates ranging from A$32.83 for production workers to A$72 for refrigeration technicians; Workforce360, an integrated managed partnership model launched in 2025 that bundles workforce planning, recruitment, labour hire, capability development and ongoing monitoring; and Jobs 4 Locals, a government-partnered pre-employment training program delivering Civil Skills, Resources and Infrastructure, Care and Support, and Hospitality streams, with 640 participants supported into employment between 2021 and 2024.

Revenue mechanics are diversified across four streams: usage-based labour hire mark-ups, professional-services recruitment fees, managed-services retainers under Workforce360, and government-funded training delivery. GTM is sales-led and community-led, combining consultative direct outreach to mining, civil construction, health and government clients with a Referral Rewards program offering up to A$250 per successful placement. The company maintains a talent network of 3,000+ active candidates and serves as Port Augusta's only 100% locally owned and operated recruitment and labour hire provider.

Name

Career Co. & Exact Staff

Legal name

Career Co. Australia Pty Ltd ACN 644 758 636 ATF the Career Co Australia Trading Trust ABN 39 300 423 422

Website

https://careerco.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Career Co. & Exact Staff is a family-owned regional workforce solutions provider in South Australia delivering recruitment, labour hire (Exact Staff), integrated workforce partnerships (Workforce360), and government-funded pre-employment training (Jobs 4 Locals) to mining, civil construction, health and government clients across the Upper Spencer Gulf.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Workforce Solutions and Staffing Services

NAICS

Employment Placement Agencies (561311), Temporary Help Services (56132), Employment Services (5613), Technical and Trade Schools (6115)

SIC

Services-Employment Agencies (7361), Services-Help Supply Services (7363)

akta.pro primary industry

Local & Regional Generalist Staffing Agencies (BPACACAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Administrative, Clerical & Office Support Direct Hire (BPACAFAF), Job Placement, Matching & Career Navigation Services (EDAAAOAL), Workforce Support Services & Case Management (Coaching, Wraparound) (EDAAAOAK), Workforce Development, Employment Readiness & Job Placement (BPADAKAE)

Keywords

• Workforce solutions
• Labour hire services
• Recruitment services
• Pre-employment training
• Regional staffing

Headquarters

HQ city

Port Augusta West

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Labour Hire (Exact Staff): Exact Staff provides flexible workforce solutions for day-to-day operations, shutdowns, maintenance programs, project staffing and workforce mobilisation. They supply personnel to businesses across civil construction, mining, health & community services, logistics, manufacturing, agriculture, retail and hospitality sectors. Revenue is generated through marking up labour costs at competitive hourly rates.
2. Recruitment Services: Career Co provides permanent recruitment, fixed-term recruitment, executive & specialist recruitment, and recruitment campaigns. They identify and attract quality candidates for client organisations. Services are tailored to client needs and likely billed on placement success or service fees.
3. Workforce360 Partnership Model: Workforce360 provides integrated workforce partnerships including workforce planning, recruitment, labour hire, workforce capability development, monitoring and ongoing support. This strategic service helps organisations build sustainable workforce solutions and supports local content and participation objectives.
4. Upskilling Programs (Jobs 4 Locals): Jobs 4 Locals is a collaborative pre-employment training program linking local job seekers to training and jobs. Delivered in partnership with government (Australian Government Department of Employment and Workplace Relations, Government of South Australia, Skills SA) and local employers, the program provides accredited training with 80 places available in 2026-2027.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Career Co partners with businesses to deliver tailored workforce solutions across regional South Australia, including permanent and executive recruitment through its Recruitment division, flexible workforce supply via the Exact Staff labour hire division, integrated workforce partnerships through Workforce360, and pre-employment training programs through Jobs 4 Locals. Services cover day-to-day operations, shutdowns, maintenance programs, project staffing, workforce mobilisation and workforce capability development for mining, civil construction, health and community services, logistics, manufacturing, agriculture, retail and hospitality clients.

Product overview

Career Co is a workforce partnership company offering a unified portfolio of workforce solutions. The core offering includes Exact Staff (labour hire division), Workforce360 (integrated workforce partnership model), Recruitment Services (permanent, fixed-term, executive, and campaign recruitment), Jobs 4 Locals (pre-employment training with Civil Skills, Resources and Infrastructure, Care and Support, and Hospitality programs), and Referral Rewards. These products work together as an integrated ecosystem where Career Co serves as the primary brand, Exact Staff provides flexible workforce supply, Workforce360 delivers strategic workforce planning and ongoing partnership, Recruitment Services handles talent acquisition, Jobs 4 Locals builds workforce capability through training, and Referral Rewards incentivizes employee referrals.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Exact Staff: Labour hire division of Career Co providing flexible workforce solutions for day-to-day operations, shutdowns, maintenance programs, project staffing and workforce mobilisation.
• Workforce360
• Jobs 4 Locals

Products and services

• Recruitment Services Permanent, fixed-term, executive and specialist recruitment, plus targeted recruitment campaigns, for regional South Australian businesses seeking talent aligned with their culture, operational needs and long-term objectives.
• Exact Staff Labour Hire Flexible labour hire workforce supply for day-to-day operations, shutdowns, maintenance programs, project staffing and workforce mobilisation across civil construction, mining, health and community services, logistics, manufacturing, agriculture, retail and hospitality, including FIFO supply to remote mine sites.
• Workforce360 Integrated Workforce Partnership Integrated workforce partnership covering workforce planning, recruitment, labour hire, workforce capability development, performance monitoring and ongoing support, including local content and participation objectives, for organisations seeking a single long-term workforce partner.
• Jobs 4 Locals Pre-Employment Training Program Collaborative pre-employment training program that builds skills, confidence and practical training for local job seekers and connects them directly to local job opportunities across civil construction, resources and infrastructure, care and support, and hospitality sectors.
• Civil Skills Program Entry-level civil construction training that prepares participants for opportunities in civil construction and related industries as part of the Jobs 4 Locals program.
• Resources and Infrastructure Program Training program for resources and infrastructure industries covering workplace safety, communication, risk control, environmental awareness, working at heights, confined spaces, materials handling and plant operation.
• Care and Support Program Program preparing participants for opportunities in community services, health and support sectors with training in communication, diversity, safe work practices, infection control, legal and ethical responsibilities, first aid and personal wellbeing.

Quantifiable outcome

• 640 job seekers supported into local employment pathways through workforce development programs
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Australian Government Department of Employment and Workplace RelationscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederal government department providing funding and oversight for workforce development programs. Career Co delivers employment programs across North West Country and Mid North SA regions under Australian Government initiatives. Supported delivery of Jobs 4 Locals and other place-based workforce solutions.
• Government of South AustraliacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState government partner for labour hire supply contracts and workforce development initiatives. Supported 14 large-scale workforce solutions across Upper Spencer Gulf. Partnership enables delivery of place-based employment programs and local workforce outcomes.
• Skills SAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSouth Australian skills authority partner for training and workforce development programs. Contributed to delivery of Jobs 4 Locals initiatives supporting 640 participants into local employment pathways from 2021-2024.
• Workforce AustraliaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational workforce services organization partnered for Jobs 4 Locals program delivery. Listed as proud supporter of upskilling initiatives connecting job seekers to training and employment opportunities.
• Local Employers and Industry PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEmployer and industry co-design partners shape Jobs 4 Locals training programs around genuine local job opportunities. Partner employers gain access to trained local candidates aligned with industry requirements and can help shape training content. Career Co works with employers including civil construction companies, mining operators, and healthcare providers.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• WorkPac: One of Australia's largest private staffing and workforce solutions providers with deep exposure to mining, resources and industrial sectors. Highly comparable to Career Co's Exact Staff labour hire and Workforce360 offering, although operating at national scale rather than regionally.
• AWX: Australian labour hire and workforce solutions firm supplying casual and permanent staff across industrial, manufacturing, mining and logistics. Comparable to Career Co in its cross-sector labour hire model and rate-card based pricing.
• Sureway Employment: Regional Australian employment services provider delivering government-funded workforce programs, recruitment and training. Highly comparable to Career Co's Jobs 4 Locals training and government contract model, and operates in similar regional/industrial geographies.
• MatchWorks: Australian employment services provider delivering Workforce Australia and disability employment services, including training and placement. Comparable to Career Co's job seeker training-to-employment pathway model.
• MAX Solutions: National employment services and workforce development organisation delivering government-funded programs, recruitment and training. Directly comparable to Career Co's Jobs 4 Locals/Workforce360 integrated workforce development offering.
• IPA (DFP Recruitment Services): Australian staffing and recruitment firm supplying blue and white-collar labour to industrial, commercial, mining and government clients. Comparable to Career Co's Exact Staff labour hire and recruitment services across similar sectors.

Broad incumbents

• Chandler Macleod: Large Australian recruitment and workforce solutions brand owned by RGF Staffing, operating across multiple sectors including resources, industrial and government. Comparable to Career Co's staffing/recruitment breadth, but at significantly larger national scale.
• Programmed (PERSOLKELLY): Major Australian workforce solutions provider covering staffing, maintenance, training and recruitment across resources, industrial and government. Comparable to Career Co's integrated workforce solutions portfolio but operating nationally with much larger scale.
• Hays Australia: Global recruitment firm with significant Australian operations focused on professional, technical and trade recruitment. Comparable to Career Co's permanent, fixed-term and executive recruitment services, though at a much larger, national scale.
• APM (Advanced Personnel Management): Large global employment, vocational rehabilitation and workforce services provider with a substantial Australian government-funded employment services arm. Comparable to Career Co's workforce development and employment outcomes focus, but at much greater scale and geographic reach.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/careerco.au

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Career Co. & Exact Staff