The workforce for Australia’s care sectors is under unprecedented pressure, with aged care, disability, and early childhood education all grappling with critical workforce shortages. This challenge has the power to shape the wellbeing of some of our most vulnerable communities for decades to come. As such, the ability to train, retain, and support skilled professionals has never been more vital.
Behind every statistic and anecdote about workforce shortages lies a bigger question: how do we build the skilled, committed workforce Australia needs?
The newly released FPIP Impact Report 2025 takes a close look at this challenge, outlining how For Purpose Investment Partners (FPIP) is combining social purpose with sustainable returns across its portfolio.
Among the standout examples is Catalyst Education, whose work in skills training is helping to build and sustain the care workforce of the future.
We’re proud to share some of the key highlights from the report that show how the team here at Catalyst is helping to build and sustain the care workforce of the future.
Expanding reach Australia-wide
A major highlight of the past year was Catalyst Education’s acquisition of ARC Training in February 2025. ARC, a New South Wales–based RTO with a strong track record in aged care, disability, and business training, broadens Catalyst’s geographic reach and adds depth in employer partnerships and training delivery.
These strengths build on Catalyst’s established reputation in Victoria through Selmar Institute and Practical Outcomes, creating a combined organisation with stronger capability across sectors as well as greater reach, including regional scope.
The integration of ARC expands Catalyst’s footprint across multiple states and territories, creating a truly national platform for vocational education and training in the care sectors. By bringing together ARC’s local employer and community connections with Catalyst’s learner-centred model, more Australians now have access to flexible, high-quality, workplace-based training.
Delivering optimal outcomes for learners
Catalyst’s results continue to stand out across the vocational education sector. In 2025:
- 79% of Catalyst learners improved their employment position, compared with the industry average of 65%.
- 35% of learners trained while working, far exceeding the 10% industry average.
These outcomes are a reflection of a model built on partnership with employers, practical training delivery, and a commitment to supporting learners from diverse backgrounds.
At Catalyst we are going beyond simply equipping people with qualifications, and doing everything possible to ensure they are truly stepping into meaningful, sustainable careers.
Resilience in the face of change
In 2024, Catalyst Education faced a major test when the Victorian government reduced Skills First funding for independent RTOs by 60%. This was a devastating blow but one that we were determined to push through and overcome.
Catalyst responded by diversifying revenue streams, expanding fee-for-service offerings, and building new solutions to meet emerging skill and geographic needs.
This ability to adapt quickly meant Catalyst continued to deliver strong student outcomes while staying financially sustainable. A testament to the resilience of the Catalyst team and of FPIP’s investment model, which puts quality at the centre of both social impact and financial performance.
Collaboration to create maximum impact
Catalyst’s collaboration with For Purpose Aged Care shows how training can be embedded directly into communities to address workforce shortages. In Romsey and Wagga Wagga, new traineeship programs are helping local residents, including career changers and new arrivals in Australia, to enter the aged care workforce.
These programs give individuals new opportunities while strengthening the aged care services that regional communities depend on. Catalyst is creating long-term career pathways that benefit both workers and residents by bringing training into workplaces and tailoring the support given to what learners actually want and need.
Looking forward
Catalyst’s next chapter will focus on:
- Integrating ARC Training: This aims to broaden geographic reach and combine operations nationally.
- AI-enabled learning support tools: Our goal is to provide personalised, flexible guidance for students and make training more accessible.
- Expanded course offerings: Including leadership and specialist care programs, to equip the workforce with the skills needed for the future.
With a forward-thinking strategy, we’re striving to ensure Catalyst continues to play a vital role in addressing workforce shortages while innovating for long-term sustainability.
Purpose and profit in action
Catalyst’s journey is a real-life example of FPIP’s broader mission: combining social purpose with sustainable returns. The organisation’s ability to expand nationally, deliver above-benchmark outcomes, and adapt through major policy shifts demonstrates that high-quality, values-driven training can transform both individual lives and entire sectors.
For FPIP, this is evidence of a model where purpose and profit are not competing goals but reinforcing ones. By applying patient capital and strong governance to the social sector, FPIP is creating systems change that benefits learners, employers, and communities alike.
We’re proud to see Catalyst Education evolve to be more than an education provider. It is proof that impact investment, done right, builds the workforce Australia needs, one learner, one community, and one sector at a time.
You can read the full FPIP Impact Report 2025: Our Impact
