SOCIAL ENTERPRISE JOBS SUMMIT
Australia’s first national conference for and about jobs-focused social enterprises.
Bringing the sector together
In June 2025, 380 changemakers from social enterprise, philanthropy, corporate and government came together at the University of Melbourne, united by the same vision: to build common ground, share real-world insights, and amplify our collective voice.
The Social Enterprise Jobs Summit, hosted in partnership with White Box and Social Enterprise Australia, was Australia’s first national conference for and about jobs focused social enterprises. It answered a simple but urgent need: to bring greater connection and cohesion to Australia’s 1,500 WISEs.
The 10 areas for
action that emerged
During the closing session, Alex Hannant from Social Enterprise Australia summarised the ideas and themes that emerged over the two days.
The 10 areas for action:
- Further develop WISE support infrastructure.
- Integrate WISEs into mainstream employment systems.
- Enable cross-sector collaboration and innovation.
- Embed First Nations self-determination and Indigenous-led approaches.
- Reform procurement and market access.
- Build sector capability and resilience.
- Create cultures of wellbeing and sustainable workplaces.
- Secure enabling financing.
Develop transition pathways and employer partnerships. - Regulatory and policy reform.
What’s next?
We’re committed to hosting the Jobs Summit every two years, with the next conference scheduled for mid-2027.
In the meantime, we’re continuing to lead initiatives that keep the sector connected, including shared learnings, our co-working spaces, and progressing a national strategy for jobs-focused social enterprise through the WISE Hub.
Read on to learn more about our work
Until Then
The conversations that started at the Summit are already shaping real change. In May 2026, the Australian Government announced a major overhaul of Australia’s employment services system, naming social enterprises as part of the solution for the first time. It’s a milestone years in the making, and one that White Box and our sector partners are now helping to shape.
Read more about employment services reform and what it means for the sector.
Read our latest insights
Explore what we’re learning about what works in jobs-focused employment and disability enterprise, from sector evaluations to systems-change research.
Support Us
Help us grow the jobs-focused social enterprise sector through funding, philanthropy or in-kind support.