Skilled Group

{{Infobox company

| name = Skilled Group

| logo = SKILLED_Group_Company_Logo.jpg

| foundation = 1964

| key_people = {{ubl|Bruce Brook (Non-executive chairman)|Chris Sutherland (Managing Director){{cite web|url=http://www.asx.com.au/asx/research/company.do#!/PRG/details|title=PROGRAMMED MAINTENANCE SERVICES LIMITED details|work=Australian Securities Exchange|access-date=2015-11-04|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304230436/http://www.asx.com.au/asx/research/company.do#!/PRG/details|archive-date=2016-03-04}}}}

| industry = Human Resources, Labour hire

| revenue = A$1,873,893 (2013)

| num_employees = Approximately 50.000 full- and part-time employees{{cite web | url=http://www.macroaxis.com/invest/ratio/SKE.AX--Number_of_Employees | title=SKILLED Number of Employees | publisher=Macroaxis | accessdate=21 March 2014}}

| parent = Programmed Maintenance

| owner = Persol Holdings

| homepage = {{URL|skilled.com.au}}

}}

Skilled Group is an Australian company headquartered in Melbourne, Victoria. Its core business is labour hire.{{cite news|url=http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-business/skilled-group-recovery-will-take-time-20100224-p1hc.html|title=Skilled Group recovery 'will take time'|last=Cratchley|first=Drew|work=The Sydney Morning Herald|agency=Australian Associated Press|date=2010-02-24|accessdate=2014-07-15}} It is a subsidiary of Programmed Maintenance, which is itself a subsidiary of Japanese labour hire conglomerate Persol Holdings.

The company manages offices across multiple countries; including Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom, Malta and the United Arab Emirates.

Corporate history

The company was founded in 1964 by Frank Hargrave AO.{{cite news|url=http://www.smh.com.au/money/investing/skilled-turnaround-digs-up-yields-20120211-1syew.html|title=Skilled turnaround digs up yields|last=Commins|first=Patrick|work=The Sydney Morning Herald|date=2012-02-12|accessdate=2014-07-15}}

In October 2015, Programmed Maintenance (ASX:PRG) acquired Skilled Group.{{cite web |url=http://skilled.com.au/investor-centre/company-news/skilled-was-acquired-by-programmed-maintenance-services-limited/ |title=SKILLED was acquired by Programmed Maintenance Services Limited - SKILLED |website=skilled.com.au |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151130094617/http://www.skilled.com.au/investor-centre/company-news/skilled-was-acquired-by-programmed-maintenance-services-limited/ |archive-date=2015-11-30}} {{cite news|last=Evans|first=Simon|date=2015-06-24|title=Skilled Group swallowed by rival Programmed Maintenance after 21 years on ASX|work=The Sydney Morning Herald|url=http://www.smh.com.au/business/mining-and-resources/skilled-group-swallowed-by-rival-programmed-maintenance-after-21-years-on-asx-20150624-ghvi3r|accessdate=2015-06-24}}

In October 2017, Programmed Maintenance was acquired by Persol Holdings.

Legal controversies

In 2011, Telstra trainees took the company and its subsidiary Excelior to the industrial relations tribunal. The union said that trainees were not compensated enough for expenses during mandatory training.{{cite news|url=http://www.smh.com.au/national/trainees-argue-for-more-pay-to-learn-20110104-19f5k.html|title=Trainees argue for more pay to learn|last=Bibby|first=Paul|work=The Sydney Morning Herald|date=2011-01-05|accessdate=2014-07-15}}

In 2015 in a landmark case, a couple was awarded damages of $720,000 against the company after being refused jobs for being non-union.{{Cite web|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-03-31/perth-couple-denied-jobs-by-oms-mua-awarded-750000-dollars/6361096|title = Non-union Perth couple awarded $720,000 after being denied jobs|website = Australian Broadcasting Corporation|date = 30 March 2015}}