Member Article

Acquisition of Newcastle’s XL Graduate Placement to ‘turbo charge’ growth plans

Newcastle-based XL Graduate Placement, company providing temporary and permanent graduate recruitment services, has been acquired by Nicholas Associates Group.

The purchase is the first in a number of planned acquisitions for the South Yorkshire headquartered group, which sees XL Graduate Placement join the Stafforce, Apprentice Employment Agency and other Nicholas Associates brands.

Achieving a seven-figure revenue stream since its inception in 2011, XL Graduate Placement boasts a growing number of SME and FTSE clients across the UK.

The firm’s vendors will remain as consultants working alongside Vicki Nee, a new internal Group appointment of Head of Apprentice and Graduate Placement.

Vendors of XL Graduate Placement said: “Joining Nicholas Associates will quite simply turbo charge XL’s growth plans. The additional opportunities that this will provide to our 23,000 graduate stakeholders is immensely exciting for them and for the XL team.

“The benefits to graduates of a paid work placement in the field in which they want to build their career are abundantly clear; we will now have the scale, reach and resources to help thousands more graduates take the crucial first step on the career ladder.”

Lisa Gainsford, Nicholas Associates Group CEO, said: “We are very excited about XL joining our Group and it demonstrates our commitment to empowering young people and supporting their career journey from the start.

“It fits perfectly with our Apprentice Employment Agency and our software business, which, through its All Together platform enables almost 50% of the UK’s 16-18 year olds to access work experience placements as well as supporting a number universities in managing student work placements.

Corporate Partner Paul Mann and Associate Mae Salem from Squire Patton Boggs in Leeds advised Nicholas Associates. Paul Mann commented: “We are delighted to have completed our first acquisition for Nicholas Associates.

“The management has ambitious plans to grow through further acquisitions and we look forward to supporting them to continue their growth and success.”

Jonathon Parkinson from Benchmark International as an advisor on the XL Graduate Placement deal.