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The attributes of an effective jobs-focused social enterprise.
Jobs-focused social enterprises are purpose-built businesses that exist to create jobs and career pathways for people who are often shut out from mainstream work. So what defines these businesses, and makes them most effective?
To support the work White Box is undertaking for the Disability Enterprise Evolve Program, our team has developed a set of best practice principles for jobs-focused social enterprises focused on disability employment.
Attributes of a best practice disability employment-focused social enterprise:
- Strong commercial performance with > 60% of income derived from trade (excluding NDIS).
- Employees living with a disability have personalised plans to progress their careers and wages.
- Established transition program with some employees moving into mainstream employment.
- Highly developed wrap-around support programs for employees enabling them to achieve their career goals and maximise their wages.
- A sustainable mix of community employees and and people with a disability working side-by-side.
- Award wage opportunities or best practice supported wages in place.
Building on the work of CSI
Centre for Social Impact (CSI) Swinburne, in collaboration with four Disability Enterprises, has done a great deal of work in developing a model for Disability Enterprises to help them create pathways to mainstream employment. This model is called the Work Integration Social Enterprise Ability model.
This is a great piece of work. It will help inform part of the transition Disability Enterprises will undertake as a part of the Evolve Program.