South Yorkshire based Nicholas Associates Group has acquired XL Graduate Placement, a Newcastle based company providing temporary and permanent graduate recruitment services for an undisclosed sum.
 
The purchase is the first in a number of planned acquisitions for the Group that sees XL Graduate Placement join the Stafforce, Apprentice Employment Agency and other Nicholas Associates brands.
 
XL Graduate Placement has delivered significant growth achieving a seven-figure revenue stream since its inception in 2011 and boasts a growing number of SME and FTSE clients across the UK.  The Vendors will remain as consultants working alongside Vicki Nee, a new internal Group appointment of Head of Apprentice and Graduate Placement.
 
Corporate Partner Matt Ainsworth and Associate Michael Hall at law firm Irwin Mitchell and Jonathan Parkinson at Benchmark Corporate advised XL Graduate Placement.
 
The Vendors of XL Graduate Placement commented: “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.”

Nicholas Associates Group CEO, Lisa Gainsford commented: “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."