Vocational Partnerships Group

What Vocational Partnerships Group does

Vocational Partnerships Group Inc (VPG) is a private not-for-profit community organisation headquartered in Cairns, Far North Queensland, Australia. Founded in 1999, VPG delivers youth employment, family support, education-to-employment, mental health, and university-access programs across regional centres in Cairns, Innisfail, Atherton, and Mareeba. The organisation serves young people aged 15-24 (and 8-21 through Tablelands Youth Support), parents and carers, regional university students, schools, and local employers, brokering connections between education, industry, and community under an "Advantaged Thinking" model.

VPG's product portfolio comprises interconnected sub-branded programs including Ready For Work, Get Set For Work, Work Skills, and Work Experience (youth employment); RespectMe (school-based respectful relationships and consent education delivered since 2012); Every Family (parenting support); Tablelands Youth Support (youth case management); MyndKind (community-led mental health navigation); and the Tablelands and Cassowary Coast University Centres (regional higher-education access hubs). These programs are delivered face-to-face across four service centres and online via Zoom. The underlying technology is a community services platform supporting program delivery; no proprietary AI/ML or software-as-a-service product is disclosed.

The business model is grant-funded and donation-supported: VPG receives funding from Queensland Government departments (Trade/Employment/Training, Families/Disability/Child Safety, Justice), the Australian Government's Regional University Centres program, Northern Queensland Primary Health Network, and tax-deductible public donations. All programs are free to participants. The go-to-market motion is community-led, relying on school referrals, agency partnerships, employer champions, and direct community outreach across Far North Queensland. Leadership is provided by CEO Maryanne Tranter, and the organisation reports 5,000+ employer partnerships accumulated over 24 years.

Name

Vocational Partnerships Group

Legal name

Vocational Partnerships Group Inc.

Website

https://vpginc.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Vocational Partnerships Group is a Far North Queensland not-for-profit delivering free youth employment, family support, university-access, and mental health programs across Cairns, Innisfail, Atherton and Mareeba, funded by Queensland and Australian government grants and donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Services

NAICS

Vocational Rehabilitation Services (624310), Educational Support Services (611710), Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Child and Youth Services (62411), Technical and Trade Schools (6115), Junior Colleges (61121)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Employment Agencies (7361)

akta.pro primary industry

Workforce Readiness, Career Pathways & Youth Employment Nonprofits (BPAGADAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Employment & Job Readiness Support Services (BPAGAEAJ), Community College / Training Provider Workforce Pathways Programs (EDAAAOAO), Work-Based Learning Programs (Internships, Apprenticeships, Community-Based Instruction) (EDAKANAF), Transition Services (Secondary to Postsecondary/Employment, Life Skills) (EDAJAKAG), Workforce & Job-Seeker Services (Community-Based) (EDAAAFAM)

Keywords

• Youth employment services
• Family support programs
• Community education services
• Vocational training programs
• Regional community services

Headquarters

HQ city

Cairns

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Contract Funding: VPG receives funding from multiple government sources including Queensland Government Department of Trade, Employment & Training (Skilling Queenslanders for Work), Queensland Government Department of Families, Seniors, Disability Services & Child Safety, Queensland Government Department of Justice and Attorney-General, Australian Government (Regional University Centres), and Northern Queensland Primary Health Network.
2. Donations and Charitable Contributions: VPG accepts tax-deductible donations from the public and offers regular/monthly giving programs to support vulnerable young people.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Vocational Partnerships Group delivers community-based youth employment services, family support, education-to-employment pathways, respectful relationships education, and youth mental health navigation across Far North Queensland. Its core services include accredited training programs, work experience coordination, parenting workshops, school-based respectful relationships education, university study hub access, and mental health navigation for young people. All programs are provided free to participants and funded primarily through government grants and charitable donations.

Product overview

VPG offers a portfolio of interconnected community service programs focused on improving child and youth transitions in Far North Queensland. The core offerings include employment programs (Ready For Work, Get Set For Work, Work Skills) that provide job search assistance, training, and work experience coordination for youth aged 15-24. Supporting programs include RespectMe (violence prevention education), the Every Family Program (parenting support), Tablelands Youth Support (youth aged 8-21), MyndKind mental health support, and Tablelands & Cassowary Coast University Centres for higher education access. These programs work together to address youth unemployment, family support, education access, and community wellbeing across the FNQ region.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• RespectMe: A free best-practice respectful relationships, consent and violence prevention education program for young people in schools, delivered since 2012.
• Every Family
• Tablelands Youth Support (TYS)
• Work Skills
• Get Set For Work
• Ready For Work
• MyndKind

Products and services

• Ready For Work

Quantifiable outcome

• 5,000+ local employer partnerships over 24 years
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Northern Queensland Primary Health Network (NQPHN)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNQPHN funds and supports the MyndKind community-led mental health response across Mareeba-Tablelands, with VPG serving as the youth-specific partner in the local consortium led by Better Together.
• Wuchopperen Health ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVPG and Wuchopperen Health Service partnered to deliver a 12-month Traineeship program providing employment pathways for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people, working together to strengthen employment prospects for First Nations youth.
• Tablelands Regional CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTablelands Regional Council partners with VPG on youth development initiatives including the Tablelands Youth Energy program and Tablelands University Centre, supporting local workforce development.
• MiHaven (Registered Training Organisation)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVPG partnered with MiHaven RTO to deliver Certificate III in Individual Support, increasing course delivery capacity for VPG and Wugu Nyambil participants in the aged care sector.
• Wugu NyambilcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWugu Nyambil is a local employment service that collaborated with VPG to address skills shortages and provide education opportunities for community members in Yarrabah.
• Better TogethercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBetter Together leads the local consortium for MyndKind mental health initiative, with VPG as the youth-specific partner providing connected, personalised care for young people.
• C&K KindergartenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVPG co-facilitates supported playgroups with C&K Kindergarten in Mareeba, providing play-based shared experiences for children and networking opportunities for parents.
• ECHOminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerECHO is a community organization partnered with VPG on youth initiatives including community art projects and Tablelands Youth Energy program.
• FNQ Cable LocatorsminorOthersFNQ Cable Locators hired VPG Work Skills program graduate Billie for a position aligned with her training, demonstrating direct employment outcomes from VPG programs.
• Clarke & Prince, ArchitectsminorOthersJane Hanan, Director at Clarke & Prince, is an Employer Champion providing young people with valuable work experience placement opportunities each year.
• Sea SwiftminorOthersSea Swift provides work experience opportunities to young people through VPG's Employer Champion program, helping develop the next generation of workers.
• Pullman Cairns InternationalminorOthersPullman Cairns International offers workplace tours where young people learn about the hospitality industry and employment opportunities available.
• Central Queensland University (CQUniversity)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCQUniversity backs the Tablelands University Centre and delivers learning online for undergraduate courses, committed to in-person education support as enrolments grow.
• James Cook UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJames Cook University supports the Tablelands University Centre initiative, aligned with their commitment to create increased education pathways for the region.
• Mutkin Residential Aged CareminorOthersMutkin Residential Aged Care hosted PaTH Internship placements for VPG participants Retarna, Norma and Yulana, providing 120 hours of work placement and potential future employment.
• Cape York Land CouncilminorOthersCape York Land Council offered Royston a Business Administration Traineeship with traditional custodian requirements that matched his background.
• Centacare FNQminorOthersCentacare FNQ provided construction traineeship opportunities for three VPG Transition to Work participants.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• The Smith Family: Large Australian charity focused on disadvantaged youth education and employment pathways. Comparable to VPG in mission, target demographic, and government-funded delivery model, but operates at national scale.
• headspace: National youth mental health foundation funded by the Australian Government and PHNs. Comparable to VPG's MyndKind youth mental health service in target demographic and primary-health-network funding model.
• SYC (formerly SYC Ltd): Australian not-for-profit delivering youth employment, education, and justice services nationally. Closely comparable to VPG as a youth employment and transitions NFP with government-funded program delivery.
• Mission Australia: Major Australian social services NFP delivering youth, family, employment, and housing programs. Comparable portfolio breadth to VPG, including youth employment services and family support under community-led service models.
• Brotherhood of St Laurence: Australian NFP focused on tackling poverty through employment, education, and community programs. Comparable to VPG's youth employment and family support offerings, with overlapping funder base and outcome-driven service design.
• Relationships Australia: National NFP delivering relationship education, counselling, and family support services. Directly comparable to VPG's RespectMe relationships-and-consent education program as a peer product in the same category.
• Centacare Catholic Family Services: Catholic social services network providing family support, youth services, and community programs across Australia. Comparable to VPG's Every Family parenting program and RespectMe school-based delivery, with FNQ presence (Centacare FNQ).
• Whitelion: Australian NFP focused exclusively on young people at risk of involvement in the justice system, with a strong employment and education placement focus. Closely comparable to VPG's Ready/Work Skills programs and Transition to Work cohort.

Broad incumbents

• Jobfind Centres Australia: National employment services provider delivering government-funded jobactive and Workforce Australia programs. Operates in overlapping funding streams and target populations as VPG but at national scale as a contracted provider.
• MAX Solutions: One of Australia's largest employment services providers, delivering government-funded employment programs across multiple states. Comparable to VPG's Skilling Queenslanders for Work funded services but as a much larger national incumbent.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/VPGYouthTransitions
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/vpgyouthtransitions

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 Vocational Partnerships Group