Our history

Angus Knight Group expands its UK Education offering with the acquisition of Catch22’s Apprenticeship Business. This acquisition grows our Education offering and allows us to further Angus Knight’s mission to empower the people and communities we work with through top-quality training, work and education opportunities.

Angus Knight acquires attitudinal and behavioural change business, Intuitive Thinking Skills in the UK.

Angus Knight buys Maximus’ Swedish operations. Expanding the Jobfind Sweden footprint.

Angus Knight and the Career Foundation launch Careerfind in Canada

Jobfind Australia wins 12 new contracts to deliver 5 Workforce Australia programmes across 62 sites in Australia

Real Futures launches Transition to Work services and Women’s Business Second Chance Hub in Western Australia

Angus Knight purchased two specialist RTOs Learning Sphere (NSW) and Learn Plus Us (UK). Angus Knight and 200+ year old UK Charity Catch22 form new company called Jobs 22 in the UK. Real Futures launches Women’s Business: Second Chance Hub with UN Women and BHP Foundation.

Nyirrunggulung-RISE formed in partnership with Jawoyn Association Aboriginal Corporation, in the Northern Territory.

Angus Knight partners with Life Without Barriers and starts Joblife to deliver Disability Employment Services across many states of Australia. RISE-Ngurratjuta (now RN Employment Services) formed in partnership with Ngurratjuta/Pmara Ntjarra Aboriginal Corporation in the Northern Territory. Two new training companies, Core Industry Training and Jigsaw Training became part of the Angus Knight Group.

Angus Knight expands the businesses into Victoria with the acquisition of Direct Recruitment. Angus Knight buys minority shareholding in Supply Nation Certified (Majority Indigenous Owned) business Real Futures.

In July, Jobfind begins delivering services under the Remote Jobs and Communities Program (RJCP) in 6 regions in Queensland (Wellesley Islands, Western Tablelands and Kowanyama/Pormpuraaw) and the Northern Territory (Katherine, West Arnhem and Darwin Daly). Under the RJCP contract, Jobfind works with individuals, communities and local employers to help more people into jobs and build stronger communities.

The Job Network program was replaced by Job Services Australia (JSA) and Jobfind becomes one of the largest providers in the country with a range of pre-employment, training, recruitment and post-employment services under contract with the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) – now known as the Department of Employment and separately the Department of Education. JSA is designed to assist people into employment by working with employers, training providers and job seekers to find individuals sustainable employment and address any vocational or non-vocational barriers, as required.

Jobfind begins to deliver services under the Government’s re-launched Community Development Employment Projects (CDEP) program was to assist Indigenous individuals and communities to improve their economic and social well-being. This program is rolled into the Remote Jobs and Communities Program in 2013.

Westpac Direct Equity Investment became a major shareholder in the Angus Knight Group in December 2007 as a result of the acquisition of Work Directions Australia (a previous Job Network service provider led by Therese Rein). The acquisition of WDA more than doubled the size of the Employment Services business and provided an increased footprint in Queensland and New South Wales, as well as a presence in Victoria.

Recognising the growing interest in online learning, Angus Knight invested in eLearning with the aim of entering the vocational education and training market. This resulted in the formation of Click2Learn (later renamed SumTotal) and the acquisition of Omni – from the ANZ Bank. These businesses formed the cornerstone for what is now the Education and Training division of the Group.

The Group leveraged its experience in working with the unemployed and successfully bid for the Federal Government’s Employment Services Contract (ESC) – being awarded 16 sites and becoming a foundation member of the Job Network. Over the next decade, through a number of acquisitions and successful tenders, Jobfind built a company with a national footprint as the largest private provider of workforce development in Australia.

The Angus Knight Group was founded by Duncan Angus and Peter Knight to deliver hospitality training, at a time when governments were moving vocational training expenditure to the private sector. The Group developed innovative courses in job search training which were included as part of a government funded program to assist the unemployed in Australia.

Our first office was in Scott’s Church building in the city of Sydney and the vision was simple: to help people on their journey into work. More than training, it was about supporting their self-belief and empowering them.