Builders Academy Australia and City-Wide Building & Training Services acquired by UP Education

UP Education, a leading dual-sector education provider in Australasia, has acquired Builders Academy Australia (BAA) and City-Wide Building & Training Services (CWBTS) from Simonds Group Limited.

BAA & CWBTS provide accredited Vocational Education and Training (VET) courses in building and construction and associated leadership and management courses via physical, online or blended course delivery across Victoria, New South Wales, Australian Capital Territory and Queensland.

The acquisition sees UP Education build on its expansion into the VET, Higher Education, and online learning market in Australia.

Andrew Shea, CEO of BAA & CWBTS says joining a large-scale Australasian education group heralds an exciting new chapter for the business as it looks to train more of Australia’s future builders.

“Under this education-focused ownership, BAA & CWBTS is strongly positioned to play a pivotal role in the education sector, delivering the industry-ready skills needed for a workforce that is set to top 1.28 million people by 2024.

“The acquisition by UP Education at this time of growth will assist us we look to grow our domestic and international learning community in an increasingly competitive education environment. Further maximising the online learning opportunity and work-integrated learning will be an important part of this.

“The team at UP Education have given me confidence in a shared vision for the future holding the same learner-centric values and commitment to education and employment outcomes as we do,” says Shea.

UP Education Australia CEO, Craig Jones, says he is pleased to bring VET providers of BAA & CWBTS quality and academic strength into the UP Education portfolio as the Group continues to invest in its expansion in Australia.

“Recognised as a 2020 Victorian Small Training Provider of the Year and the 2020 Australian Small Training Provider of the Year, BAA is excelling at meeting the needs of the people it is training and the industry it is serving. Confidence in education outcomes is critical as more people train or retrain to address skills shortages in Australia and shape the workforce of the future.

“With UP Education’s strong existing trades training credentials in the New Zealand market through NZMA and G&H Training – delivering training in construction, plumbing and gas-fitting, electrical engineering, painting and plastering, and managed apprenticeships – UP Education is well aligned to support the continued growth of BAA & CWBTS, and establish its position as an Australian leader in trades-based education.”

In 2021, UP Education partnered with Swinburne University of Technology to launch Swinburne Open Education. The partnership delivers online VET education to students across Australia via UP Education’s proprietary online platform, with a suite of courses focused on meeting employment demand in some of the fastest growing industries. In the first six months since launch, the Swinburne Open Education partnership has seen 400% student enrolment growth.

BAA & CWBTS will continue its relationship with Simonds Homes as a strategic partner aiding in their learning and development needs.