Australia Corporate Leadership Training Market Size, Share & Industry Analysis, By End-User [Large Enterprises and Small & Midsized Enterprises (SMEs)], By Application (Online Training, Instructor Led Training (ILT), and Blended Training), and Country Forecast, 2025-2032

The Australia corporate leadership training market size was valued at USD 1,432.8 million in 2024. The market is projected to grow from USD 1,561.6 million in 2025 to USD 2,923.8 million by 2032, exhibiting a CAGR of 9.37% during the forecast period of 2025-2032.

Key players partner with newer corporate firms to broaden their customer base in the Australian market. These firms include governmental agencies, organizations, and private and public firms. In addition, they conduct leadership development programs to encourage students and team-level corporate professionals to enroll in their leadership training courses.

First-time managers and team members undertake leadership training courses to broaden their skill sets in risk management, conflict management, and effective decision-making. The growing importance of adaptive leadership, emotional intelligence, and purpose-driven leadership has encouraged corporate organizations to invest in their employees’ leadership development activities. Increasing corporate firms’ need to train their employees to enhance leadership capabilities and resolve real-time business problems, which drives the demand for leadership training services across Australia. 

• According to RMIT University, an employee upskilling courses provider estimated that Australian businesses expected to spend around USD 8.0 billion on overall employee learning and development in 2024.

MARKET DYNAMICS

Market Drivers

Increasing Necessities of Leadership Development to Propel Market Growth

The increasing employment rate and the necessity of developing or hiring employees with leadership capabilities drive Australia corporate leadership training market growth. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the number of employed people in Australia increased from 13.58 million in July 2022 to 14.47 million in July 2024. Workers seeking growth opportunities are more likely to stay with companies that invest in their leadership potential, uplifting the demand for corporate leadership training courses.

Market Restraints

Higher Costs of Corporate Leadership Training Courses to Limit Market Growth

Organizations allocate specific budgets for employee training and development activities. Leadership training often requires substantial financial resources, including costs for materials, facilitators, and potential travel expenses. Organizations with tight budgets may prioritize other operational needs over leadership development, thereby restricting market expansion. In addition, higher costs of corporate leadership training services could limit the service demand among small-scale business organizations across Australia.

Market Opportunities

Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) Initiatives to Strengthen Market Growth

Inclusive leadership positively impacts employee engagement, satisfaction, and retention. Leaders trained in D&I can better support diverse employees, improving overall organizational performance. This has led to a higher demand for corporate leadership training programs focusing on inclusivity, which helps attract and retain talent in increasingly competitive markets. This aspect creates newer business growth opportunities for key players in the Australian market.

Market Challenges

Economic Downturns and Financial Losses to Challenge Market Growth

Economic downturns or slowdowns, rising inflation, or business uncertainties can lead companies to cut back on discretionary spending, including leadership training programs. According to the Australian Financial Security Authority (AFSA), in 2022-23, 4,352 number of organizational bankruptcies were administered by the official trustee in Australia.

AUSTRALIA CORPORATE LEADERSHIP TRAINING MARKET TRENDS

Globalization and Cross-Cultural Leadership to Favor Service Demand

Globalization and cross-cultural leadership significantly drive the Australia corporate leadership training market share. As businesses expand globally, leaders must manage teams across multiple cultures, languages, and work styles. Therefore, corporate leadership programs are designed to train leaders in cultural sensitivity, conflict resolution, and inclusive management, which increases demand for such programs in Australia.

IMPACT OF COVID-19

Organizations’ Financial Losses Impacted the Service Demand During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Organizations’ financial losses due to the disruption in business operations during the COVID-19 pandemic limited them to allocate the required budget for employee leadership & training activities, significantly impacting the service demand across Australia. In addition, the closure of educational institutes and training centers offering team member leadership development courses severely lowered service sales across Australia.

SEGMENTATION ANALYSIS

By End-User

Large Enterprises Segment to Lead Market Due to Their Spending on Workforce Development

Based on end-user, the market is bifurcated into large enterprises and small & midsized enterprises (SMEs). The large enterprises segment exhibits a major Australia corporate leadership training market share in 2024. Its significant share is attributed to the higher spending of large-sized enterprises on workforce development, training, and learning. The presence of large employee strengths, the wider variety of product/service offerings, and complex organizational structures have encouraged large-scale organizations to invest in employee leadership training programs.

The small & midsized enterprises (SMEs) segment is slated to grow at a faster rate from 2025 to 2032. The rising number of start-ups, small-scale, and mid-sized companies investing in employee development and training activities drive small & mid-sized enterprises (SMEs) segmental growth. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), Australia's total number of business entries (start-ups) increased from 110,368 in March 2024 to 130,046 in June 2024.

By Application

Instructor-led Training (ILT) Segment Dominates Due to Increased Demand for Formal Training

The market analysis can be conducted based on various application areas, including online training, Instructor Led Training (ILT), and blended training.

Formal training is the most common form of training that typically occurs in offices, conference halls, and seminars. Formal training offers multiple benefits, such as real-time question & answer, adaptability, use of interactive techniques, and opportunities in open dialogues. Higher corporate firms’ preference for the formal training method of leadership resulted in the instructor-led training segment exhibiting a major market share in 2024.

The online training segment is slated to grow at the fastest rate during 2025-2032. The blended training segment is slated to grow at the second fastest-growing rate during 2025-2032. Online and blended training segments are mainly driven by the ease of use and greater work training-related flexibility obtained from online and blended leadership training methods.

COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

Key Market Players

Prominent Companies Offer Diverse Leadership Courses to Increase Customer Base

The market is fragmented, with many corporate leadership training service providers operating in Australia. Top companies operating in the market are Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited, Nous Group Pty. Ltd., GP Strategies Corporation, Australian Graduate School of Management (AGSM), and Australian Institute of Management Education and Training Pty Limited (AIM). The companies’ provision of diverse resources of leadership training courses, including classroom coaching, team-based learning, and e-learning, helped them generate a significant position in the Australian market.

• In late 2021, Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited’s leadership and learning team partnered with over 600 senior managers to enhance their skillsets of strategic leadership in the four states of Australia.

LIST OF KEY AUSTRALIA CORPORATE LEADERSHIP TRAINING COMPANIES PROFILED:

• Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited (U.K.)


• Nous Group Pty. Ltd. (Australia)


• GP Strategies Corporation (U.S.)


• Australian Graduate School of Management (AGSM) (Australia)


• Australian Institute of Management Education and Training Pty Limited (AIM) (Australia)


• KORN FERRY (U.S.)


• Deakin University (Australia)


• Institute of Managers and Leaders (Australia)


• TAFE NSW (Australia)


• The Institute for Strategic Leadership (ISL) (Australia)


• Right Management Consultants Limited (ManPower Group) (U.S.)

KEY INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENTS:

• September 2024: Deloitte Global launched Deloitte Academies, a new workforce and upskilling purpose learning experiences program focusing on high-demand skill areas, including AI, sustainability, leadership, and product innovation.


• July 2024: The Australian Graduate School of Management (AGSM) teamed up with Sydney Swans, a performance environment organization, to deliver short courses on building leadership capabilities and shaping culture.


• December 2023: MAXIMUS announced a strategic collaboration with the World Business Forum to produce global thought leaders in Australia. This collaboration enables the company to elevate its mission to expose executives to the power of transformational leadership and build its expertise in offering insightful leadership training solutions in Australia.


• May 2022: the Australian Graduate School of Management (AGSM) launched innovative and experiential post-graduate programs to equip new leaders for corporate business challenges. These include MBA programs, graduate certificates, short courses, and leadership academy courses.


• September 2021: KORN FERRY collaborated with Cleveland Clinic to offer healthcare leadership programs to physician-leaders and healthcare executives in the U.S. The program breaks out of comfort zones, interrupts default to enhance leadership capabilities, examines professional relationships, develops a practice of empathy, and establishes strategies to support change & lead.

REPORT COVERAGE

The Australia corporate leadership training market research report provides detailed analysis and focuses on significant aspects, such as the competitive landscape, end-user, and application. Besides this, the report outlooks insights into various market trends and highlights key industry developments. In addition to the above-mentioned factors, the report encompasses several other factors that have contributed to the market growth in recent years.

Report Scope & Segmentation