With employment system reform underway, White Box opened the floor to jobs-focused social enterprises to share their experience of the current employment system and their views on how it could better support people facing complex barriers to work.
Across five consultation sessions, more than 30 people from 25 social enterprises and impact organisations shared insights from the frontline, drawing on their experience supporting young people, First Nations communities, refugees, people with disability, women escaping family violence, people experiencing homelessness, and people with justice system experience.
While every conversation reflected different communities and experiences, clear themes emerged across the sessions.
White Box will draw on this feedback, alongside evidence from the PBO trial, its own social enterprises, and broader sector experience, to inform its submission in response to the Australian Government's Employment Services Reform Discussion Paper.
We sincerely thank the organisations that contributed their time and expertise to these discussions: Amplify Alliance, Bloom Cycle, Civik People, Connect Northern Rivers, Custodian Futures (formerly Potential First Foundation), Fighting Chance, Fruit2Work, GOGO Foundation, Good Cycles, Good Sammy Enterprises, Hamlet Inc., HoMie, Jigsaw Australia, Joii Limited, LEAD Connect, Plate it Forward, SECNA, SevGen Indigenous Corporation, ShoreTrack, SisterWorks, Stepping Stone, The Beautiful Bunch, The Reconnect Project, Two Good Co and WomenCAN Australia.