White Box Enterprises was awarded a WorkFoundations grant through the Department of Workplace and Employment Relations (DEWR) in late 2025.
Distinct from the other 16 grant recipients of the program, White Box has been engaged to operate as a national aggregator - bringing together eight social enterprises and values-led employers to build further evidence on what works in supporting people with complex barriers into sustainable employment.
The eight organisations involved will collectively support over 50 people who have been out of work for more than 12 months into paid roles. Participants will receive on-the-job training, mentoring and tailored wraparound support, with government funding going directly to the organisations to cover the real costs of providing this level of support in the workplace.
One of the participating organisations is Melbourne-based social enterprise, SisterWorks, which exists to support women from migrant, refugee and asylum-seeker backgrounds into paid employment.
“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,” says SisterWorks CEO Ifrin Fittock.
“WorkFoundations recognises that meaningful employment outcomes require investment in people-centred, culturally responsive models. We know this approach works.” says Ifrin.
Alongside SisterWorks, White Box is working with Beacon Laundry, Civik People, Employ4Good, Good Cycles, Inspiring Brighter Futures Foundation, Lead PDA and Streetwork Australia. Together, this partnership enables collective tracking of what works, the real cost of providing effective support, and which pathways lead to lasting employment outcomes.
“We’re not looking at one organisation in isolation. We’re capturing data across eight delivery partners. This gives us a unique opportunity to go deeper and understand what actually works for people who’ve been out of work long-term and the real cost of providing the right supports.” says Jacqui Gilligan, White Box Enterprises.
“We know collective data is powerful. We’ve seen this through the PBO trial and the EPRI Grant program. Our goal is to continue building the evidence until we see social enterprise firmly embedded in the national employment system.” says Jacqui.
White Box will also create a community of practice, enabling organisations to share learnings, troubleshoot challenges and continuously improve how they support people facing complex barriers to employment.
The eight organisations are focused on one or more of these four key target groups:
- CALD individuals registered with a Workforce Australia Services provider
- Young people (15–24) who are disengaged from work and education, and registered with a Transition to Work provider
- Women registered with a Workforce Australia or Parent Pathways provider
For Ifrin, the funding is going to enable more women to succeed: “Nearly 80% of the women who complete SisterWorks’ Employment Pathways Program remain in work long term.”
“When women are supported into paid roles with tailored on-the-job training and mentoring, they build lasting economic independence and contribute powerfully to Australia’s workforce.”
The WorkFoundations program commenced in December 2025 and runs until 30 June 2027.