Schools Industry Partnership Work Placement Program

What Schools Industry Partnership Work Placement Program does

Schools Industry Partnership (SIP) is a not-for-profit registered charity founded in 1995 and headquartered in Penrith, New South Wales, that operates three integrated programs supporting young people's transition from education to employment across Western Sydney, the Blue Mountains, and Hawkesbury. Its Work Placement Program coordinates approximately 6,500 mandatory unpaid placements per year for Year 11-12 VET students across 13 industry sectors, partnering with schools, TAFEs, and host employers, with cumulative placements exceeding 60,000 since inception. The YES Youth Employment Services delivers the federally funded Transition to Work program for 15-24 year olds through three physical shopfronts in Penrith, Windsor, and Springwood, providing job coaching, training, and six months of post-placement support, while the Inspiring the Future Australia initiative connects workplace volunteers with students for career guidance.

The technology stack is intentionally lightweight: a self-developed Work Placement Connect portal coordinates student, school, TAFE, and employer interactions, but there is no proprietary AI, no mobile application, no API surface, and no disclosed integrations, with services delivered primarily through human coordination and relationship management by a team of 18 staff. The business model is government-funded, with the NSW Department of Education financing the Work Placement program and the Australian Department of Employment and Workplace Relations financing Transition to Work since the 2022 provider designation; supplementary revenue derives from charitable donations and corporate partnerships, and all services are provided free of charge to eligible participants, schools, and employers.

Go-to-market is hybrid: direct B2B engagement with schools and TAFEs for placement coordination, direct outreach to employers for host recruitment, and B2C walk-in and community outreach at YES shopfronts and through the Inspiring the Future volunteer platform. Customer segments span secondary schools and TAFEs, students aged 15-24, employers across diverse industries, parents, and volunteer industry professionals, with the organization holding no parent company, no subsidiaries beyond the YES sub-brand, and no disclosed funding rounds or M&A activity.

Name

Schools Industry Partnership Work Placement Program

Legal name

Schools Industry Partnership

Website

https://schoolsindustry.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Schools Industry Partnership is a not-for-profit charity founded in 1995 in Western Sydney that coordinates approximately 6,500 work placements annually for Year 11-12 VET students and delivers federally funded Transition to Work services for 15-24 year olds across the Blue Mountains, Hawkesbury, and Penrith regions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Employment and Vocational Education Services

NAICS

Educational Services (611), Technical and Trade Schools (6115)

SIC

Services-Employment Agencies (7361), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Workforce, Employability & Youth Skills Partnerships (EDADALAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Workforce Development & Continuing Education Divisions (Noncredit) (EDAHADAG)

Keywords

• Work placement coordination
• Youth employment services
• Vocational education support
• Transition to work programs
• Career guidance services

Headquarters

HQ city

Penrith

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Funding: SIP operates as a not-for-profit registered charity funded primarily by government sources including the NSW Department of Education for work placement coordination and the Australian Department of Employment and Workplace Relations (DEWR) for Transition to Work services.
2. Charitable Donations and Partnerships: Organization accepts partnerships and support from businesses and community organizations to sustain operations and expand programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Schools Industry Partnership is a not-for-profit charity that coordinates mandatory work placements for Year 11-12 VET students by matching them with host employers across 13 industries, arranging approximately 6,500 placements annually. It also operates YES Youth Employment Services, a federally funded Transition to Work program offering free personalized job coaching, training, work experience facilitation, and post-placement support for eligible 15-24 year olds, alongside the Inspiring the Future Australia volunteer career-inspiration campaign.

Product overview

Schools Industry Partnership (SIP) operates as a not-for-profit registered charity based in Western Sydney, working since 1995 to support young people through education and towards employment. The organization delivers three core programs: (1) Work Placement Program coordinating mandatory unpaid placements for Year 11-12 VET students across 13 industry sectors, managing approximately 6,500 placements annually; (2) YES Youth Employment Services providing federally funded Transition to Work support for 15-24 year olds including job coaching, training, and 6 months post-placement support; and (3) Inspiring the Future Australia connecting workplace volunteers with students for career guidance. Additional offerings include a Work Placement Connect Portal for placement management, plus career advice resources covering interview tips, resume writing, job search strategies, and apprenticeship guidance.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• YES Employment Services: Federally funded Transition to Work program providing free personalized job coaching and holistic support for eligible 15-24 year olds to become job ready.
• Work Placement Connect
• Inspiring the Future Australia

Products and services

• Work Placement Program Coordinates mandatory unpaid work placements for Year 11-12 VET students, connecting them with host employers across 13 industries including Automotive, Construction, Hospitality, IT, Retail, Health Services, and Primary Industries. SIP staff organize approximately 6,500 student placements annually on behalf of schools and TAFEs.
• YES Youth Employment Services Federally funded Transition to Work program providing free personalized 1:1 job coaching, workshops, training, employment assistance, work experience facilitation, job trials, and 6 months of post-placement support for eligible 15-24 year olds in the Penrith, Blue Mountains, and Hawkesbury regions.
• Inspiring the Future Australia National campaign connecting volunteers from the world of work with teachers and students for career guidance. Volunteers pledge at least one hour per year to talk to students about their careers, with sub-programs covering primary schools, secondary schools, apprentices, and women in trades.
• Work Placement Connect Portal Online portal that coordinates students, schools, TAFEs, and employers for work placement management. Students sign up, nominate their school and courses; teachers use the system to organize placements; and SIP staff manage host employer coordination through the portal.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 35% of Transition to Work participants successfully find sustainable work or further study
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Australian Government - Department of Employment and Workplace Relations (DEWR)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022The Australian Department of Employment and Workplace Relations selected SIP as the Transition to Work (TtW) provider for the Blue Mountains, Hawkesbury and Penrith regions in 2022. TtW is an initiative of the Australian Government to support eligible young persons aged 15-24 on their journey to post-school employment.
• NSW Department of EducationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSIP operates through funding from the NSW Department of Education to support secondary school students enrolled in Vocational Education & Training (VET) courses to complete mandatory work placement requirements.
• Brotherhood of St LaurencecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Transition to Work service is based on a Holistic, individualised service model developed by the Brotherhood of St Laurence and a community of practice of not-for-profits around Australia. SIP's TtW team works closely with the Brotherhood of St Laurence's Inclusive Pathways to Employment (IPE) pilot project.
• Education and Employers (UK)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSIP partnered with UK charity Education and Employers to bring evidence-based Inspiring the Future initiatives to school students across Australia. SIP applies its deep knowledge of the education and industry environment to deliver ITF programs.
• TAFE NSWmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerITF Australia partners with TAFE NSW to provide industry connections for the NSW Government's pilot Vocational Innovation Centre at Seven Hills High School.
• Schools in Western Sydney, Blue Mountains, and HawkesburycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSIP partners with schools in Blacktown, Penrith, Blue Mountains and Hawkesbury regions. Teachers and SIP staff work together as professional partners to plan, prepare and conduct work placements throughout the year.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Australian Business and Community Network (ABCN): Not-for-profit that connects businesses with schools to deliver mentoring, career programs, and workplace experiences for disadvantaged students. Closely aligned with SIP's school-employer partnership and Inspiring the Future-style volunteer programs.
• Mission Australia: Large national charity delivering employment, housing, and youth services including Transition to Work-equivalent programs. Comparable in operating youth employment services under federal contracts and serving disadvantaged 15–24 year olds.
• Beacon Foundation: Australian nonprofit that partners with schools and employers to deliver work readiness, mentoring, and youth employment programs nationally. Highly comparable to SIP in school–employer intermediation model and youth career pathway focus.
• The Smith Family: One of Australia's largest education-focused charities, providing learning support, mentoring, and career pathway programs for disadvantaged young people. Comparable in mission (youth education-to-employment pathways), nonprofit structure, and reliance on government and corporate partnerships.
• Clontarf Foundation: National not-for-profit running sport-based engagement, education, and employment programs for young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men. Comparable in targeting at-risk youth (15–24) for employment outcomes and federal government program delivery.
• Brotherhood of St Laurence: Melbourne-based social justice organization running employment, education, and inclusion programs including the Inclusive Pathways to Employment pilot — a direct SIP partner. Comparable in mission, research-driven service design, and disadvantaged-youth employment focus.
• MAX Solutions: Australian employment services provider delivering Workforce Australia and related government employment programs. Comparable as a federally funded employment services operator serving job seekers, including youth cohorts.
• Education and Employers (UK): UK charity that originated the Inspiring the Future program, now partnered with SIP to operate Inspiring the Future Australia. Comparable in volunteer-driven school–employer engagement model and youth career inspiration focus.
• WISE Employment: Not-for-profit employment services provider delivering government-funded employment programs including Transition to Work in other Australian regions. Comparable as a direct competitor for federal youth employment contracts and similar mission.

Others

• The Smith Family (note: listed above): Placeholder suppressed — duplicate.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ITF_Australia
• Facebookfacebook.com/schoolsindustrypartnership
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/schools-industry-partnership

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Schools Industry Partnership Work Placement Program