WORK
FOUNDATIONS
Through a unique aggregator model we’re bringing together organisations to create jobs and build the evidence for what works.
Building evidence
alongside impact
In a unique role as a national aggregator in the WorkFoundations program, Whitebox is working with eight social enterprises and values-led employers to support people into real jobs while capturing collective data on what works, what it costs, and what leads to sustainable employment outcomes.
“As the federal government redesigns its employment services system, WorkFoundations is generating the kind of evidence needed to understand what works for people facing complex barriers to work, what it costs, and what leads to lasting employment”.
– Jacqui Gilligan, Whitebox.
What is Work Foundations?
WorkFoundations is a national employment program funded by the Australian Government through the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations (DEWR).
It supports people facing significant barriers to work by funding the extra support they need to succeed in employment.
Participants gain real work experience, earn wages, build confidence, and develop the skills needed for long-term employment.
WHITEBOX'S UNIQUE ROLE
White Box has received a WorkFoundations grant to act as an aggregator for this program. This gives us a unique opportunity to work directly with a group of organisations, capturing key data and insights along the way that can be shared with the sector and government. Collectively, our eight partner organisations are expected to place over 50 people who’ve been out of work for more than 12 months into real jobs, supported with on-the-job training, mentoring, and other wrap-around supports. In return they’ll receive funding to cover the costs associated with these supports.
Alongside this, White Box is creating a space for shared learnings, collaboration, and evidence building: tracking what works, what it costs, and how social enterprises are helping people out of long term unemployment.
Our employee target groups
We’re working with social enterprises and values-led employers that are committed to supporting one or more of these target groups:
CALD INDIVIDUALS
Registered with a Workforce Australia Services provider
YOUNG PEOPLE (15-24)
disengaged from work and education, and registered with a Transition to Work provider
women
registered with a Workforce Australia or Parent Pathways provider
Informing employment system reform
The WorkFoundations program is about more than creating jobs. It’s also an opportunity to build a deeper understanding of what works when supporting people with complex barriers into employment.
Through our role as national aggregator, Whitebox is gathering valuable insights from participating organisations, building a clearer picture of the support people need and the challenges employers face.
These insights are incredibly valuable to government. Whitebox has become a trusted sounding board, regularly sharing feedback, practical learnings and on-the-ground experiences to help inform the design of future employment programs and the role social enterprises can play.
We’re actively evaluating our work to build the case to government that social enterprise should be embedded into the employment services system.
“For the women we work alongside, the barrier is not willingness or capability. It is access to equitable opportunity and the right support to sustain it. WorkFoundations recognises that meaningful employment outcomes require investment in people-centred, culturally responsive models. We know this approach works.”
– SisterWorks CEO Ifrin Fittock
Participating organisations
AGGREGATOR ADVANTAGE
Aggregation gives government and philanthropy one centralised partner, more WISEs a pathway to participate, and a practical way to test, learn and scale what works.
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