Clearwater International advises Back2Work on its investment from Palatine Private Equity

Clearwater International has advised Back2Work on its investment from Palatine Private Equity (Palatine) for a stake in the training provider which supports individuals to return to employment and develop new skills. The investment is being made from Palatine’s €108m (£100m) Impact Fund.

Back2Work specialises in delivering intensive training courses to help the long-term unemployed return to work, retrain or reskill. The business also offers a digital marketing apprenticeship programme and runs online training courses for employed people to support career progression in sectors such as health and social care.

Founded in 2010 by Managing Director Luke Muscat and Chairman Tony Bailey, Back2Work has seen strong recent growth. On the back of a number of key long-term contract wins to deliver pre-employment training for numerous devolved Combined Authorities, annual revenues have risen to €12.5m (£11.5m). As a result, Back2Work’s own headcount has increased to more than 140 employees, with the business now supporting more than 11,000 people with their training every year.

This is the sixth education and training transaction the Clearwater International team has advised on this year, and the second in the vocational training sector having previously advised on Agilitas Private Equity’s investment in Learning Curve.