The Apprenticeship Factory

What The Apprenticeship Factory does

The Apprenticeship Factory (legal entity Goulburn Murray Group Training) is a not-for-profit community-based Group Training Organization (GTO) founded in 1984 and headquartered at 44 Wyndham Street, Shepparton, Victoria. The company recruits, employs under training contract, and places apprentices and trainees with host employers across the Goulburn Valley and Murray Valley regions, acting as the legal employer of record and managing all employment administration including payroll, taxation, superannuation, workers compensation, leave management, and coordination with Registered Training Organisations for off-the-job training. Its core technology is a GTO platform that administers apprenticeship contracts, payroll, training coordination, and host-employer placement workflows. The company also operates the Monarch Personnel brand, which appears to share the underlying operational platform.

The core product is Australian Apprenticeships delivered across 14 trade profiles, including automotive, beauty, bricklaying, cabinet making, carpentry, electrical, engineering, horticulture, metal fabrication, painting and decorating, plastering, plumbing, refrigeration, and tiling. Two supplementary programs extend the offering: the Retrenched Apprentices and Trainees Program, launched in 2020 in response to COVID-19 to place displaced apprentices with new host employers, and the Giving Back Program, a community sponsorship initiative running since 1986 that distributes funds twice yearly to schools, sporting clubs, and community groups in the region. The company is regulated by the Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority (VRQA) and operates as a member of the Apprenticeship Employment Network (AEN) Victoria.

The business model combines small service fees paid by host employers for managed-services administration with government contract revenue channeled through AEN Victoria and the Retrenched Apprentices and Trainees Program. Government employment incentives are passed through to host employers consistent with the not-for-profit structure. Go-to-market is direct: field-based officers and a regional website drive apprentice registrations and host-employer acquisition, with partnerships anchored on GOTAFE (the primary RTO for trade training) and word-of-mouth referrals. Governance is provided by a volunteer Board of Directors that includes host employers such as Moretto Building Pty Ltd founder Frank Moretto. The company is privately held, with no parent, funding rounds, acquisitions, or M&A activity disclosed in the source material.

Name

The Apprenticeship Factory

Legal name

Goulburn Murray Group Training

Website

https://theapprenticeshipfactory.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Apprenticeship Factory is a not-for-profit Group Training Organization based in Shepparton, Victoria, that employs apprentices and trainees and places them with host businesses across the Goulburn Valley and Murray Valley regions while managing all payroll, superannuation, workers compensation, and training coordination.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Apprenticeship and Traineeship Services

NAICS

Apprenticeship Training (611513), Professional Employer Organizations (561330), Technical and Trade Schools (6115)

SIC

Services-Employment Agencies (7361)

akta.pro primary industry

Apprenticeships, Internships & Work-Based Learning Programs (BPACANAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Apprenticeships, Pre-Apprenticeships & Work-Based Learning (EDAAAOAC), Career Coaching, Mentoring & Placement Support Services (EDAAAKAO)

Keywords

• Apprenticeship placement services
• Group training organization
• Traineeship employment services
• Workforce apprenticeship management
• Host employer staffing

Headquarters

HQ city

Shepparton

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Host Employer Service Fees: The Apprenticeship Factory charges a small service fee to host employers for managing all employment administration, payroll, superannuation, workers compensation, and training coordination. As a not-for-profit organization, government employment incentives are passed on to host employers.
2. Government Contract Revenue: As a registered Group Training Organization part of the Apprenticeship Employment Network (AEN), the company receives government funding to support Australian Apprenticeships and traineeships, including the Retrenched Apprentices and Trainees Program created in response to COVID-19.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Apprenticeship Factory is a not-for-profit Group Training Organization (GTO) that recruits, employs, and places apprentices and trainees with host employers in the Goulburn Valley and Murray Valley regions of Victoria, Australia. The company manages all employment administration including payroll, taxation, superannuation, workers compensation, training contract coordination, and induction programs, while host employers provide on-the-job workplace training.

Product overview

The Apprenticeship Factory is a not-for-profit community-based Group Training Company that operates as a single unified service: employing Australian Apprentices (trainees and apprentices) and placing them with host businesses while managing all employment administration and on-the-job training coordination. The core offering consists of Australian Apprenticeships across 14 trade profiles (including automotive, electrical, plumbing, carpentry, and more), supplemented by a Retrenched Apprentices and Trainees Program for displaced workers and a Giving Back Program for community sponsorship. The company handles all employer responsibilities including payroll, taxation, superannuation, Workers Compensation, and training contract management.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Australian Apprenticeships

Quantifiable outcome

• Government incentives claimed and passed to host employers
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Apprenticeship Employment Network (AEN) VictoriacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020The Apprenticeship Factory is part of the Apprenticeship Employment Network (AEN) Victoria, which provides support for group training organizations. The AEN co-sponsored awards including Best 2nd Year Apprentice, Best 3rd Year Apprentice, and Best 4th Year Apprentice at the 2018 Annual Awards Night. The AEN also runs the Retrenched Apprentices and Trainees Program website.
• GOTAFE (Goulburn Ovens Institute of TAFE)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGOTAFE is a major Registered Training Organisation (RTO) partner that provides off-the-job training for apprentices and trainees. GOTAFE sponsored the Apprentice of the Year award and Best Trainee awards in Certificate II/III and Education Sector categories at the 2018 Annual Awards Night. They provide training for automotive mechanics, refrigeration, and other trade qualifications.
• Wangaratta GOTAFEminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWangaratta GOTAFE provides Certificate III in Air Conditioning & Refrigeration training for refrigeration apprentices, with block training at their facility.
• Camerons LawyersminorOthersSponsored the Trainee of the Year award at the 2018 Annual Awards Night.
• Moretto Building Pty LtdcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-term host employer partner that has employed 30 apprentices with The Apprenticeship Factory over nearly 30 years. Founder Frank Moretto has served as a Director on the company's Board for over 5 years. Won Host Employer of the Year at the 2018 Awards Night.
• Shepparton Workwear & SafetyminorOthersSponsored the Best 1st Year Apprentice award at the 2018 Annual Awards Night.
• Alan Roe AutomotiveminorOthersCo-sponsored the Best 1st Year Apprentice award at the 2018 Annual Awards Night.
• Griffiths Goodall Insurance BrokersminorOthersSponsored the Best 2nd Year Apprentice award at the 2018 Annual Awards Night.
• VECCI (Victorian Employers Chamber of Commerce and Industry)minorOthersSponsored the Best 3rd Year Apprentice award at the 2018 Annual Awards Night.
• Hip Pocket Workwear and SafetyminorOthersSponsored the Best 4th Year Apprentice award at the 2018 Annual Awards Night.
• Sarina RussominorOthersCo-sponsored the Best Trainee in Certificate II and III award at the 2018 Annual Awards Night.
• City of Greater SheppartonminorOthersCo-sponsored the Best Trainee in Certificate III Education Sector award at the 2018 Annual Awards Night.
• GMCU (Goulburn Murray Credit Union)minorOthersSponsored the Best Trainee in Certificate IV award at the 2018 Annual Awards Night.
• Crowe HorwathminorOthersCo-sponsored the Best Trainee in Certificate IV award at the 2018 Annual Awards Night.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• GOTAFE (Goulburn Ovens Institute of TAFE): Major Registered Training Organisation in northern Victoria that delivers the off-the-job training for The Apprenticeship Factory's apprentices. Adjacent rather than directly competitive, but its broader vocational training portfolio overlaps with the skills-acquisition side of TAF's offering.

Direct peers

• Tursa Employment & Training: Australian employment, Group Training, and apprenticeship services provider serving regional communities. Closely comparable model as a regional GTO competing for host employers and apprentices in non-metropolitan areas.
• BUSY At Work: Not-for-profit Group Training Organisation delivering apprenticeship, traineeship, and employment services across multiple Australian regions. Operates the same legal employer / host employer placement model as The Apprenticeship Factory, with broader geographic reach.
• AtWork Australia: Disability employment services and apprenticeship/traineeship placement provider with national Australian footprint. Competes for similar host employer relationships in regional markets and operates adjacent workforce placement models.
• MEGT (Australia): One of Australia's largest not-for-profit Group Training Organisations, operating nationally across apprenticeships and traineeships. Directly comparable to The Apprenticeship Factory in employer-of-record model, government incentive pass-through, and host employer placement, but at materially larger scale.
• CVGT Australia: Victorian-based employment services and Group Training Organisation providing apprenticeship placement and host employer support. Highly comparable in geographic focus and target customer (regional SMBs and apprentices), competing for the same Goulburn Valley / Murray Valley host employers.
• Sarina Russo Group: Australian employment, training, and apprenticeship services provider operating as a Job Active and Group Training contractor. Overlaps directly with The Apprenticeship Factory's apprenticeship placement, RTO coordination, and host employer services, and is also referenced in TAF's own award sponsorships.
• MAX Solutions: Australian employment services provider operating across apprenticeship, traineeship, and workforce programs under government contracts. Comparable to The Apprenticeship Factory in mission (placing job seekers with host employers) and reliance on government funding.

Others

• Apprenticeship Employment Network (AEN) Victoria: Industry association representing Victorian Group Training Organisations including The Apprenticeship Factory. Not a competitor, but a critical ecosystem partner that co-funds programs such as the Retrenched Apprentices and Trainees Program and influences GTO regulatory policy.
• Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority (VRQA): State regulator that oversees GTO registration and apprenticeship contract compliance in Victoria. Not a peer, but the regulatory authority whose framework both constrains and protects The Apprenticeship Factory's operating model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-apprenticeship-factory

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 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 The Apprenticeship Factory