Social Enterprise News

A social enterprise that trains and employs young data analysts with autism has been recognised at The University of Queensland’s 2023 Entrepreneurship and Innovation Awards.

Australian Spatial Analytics, which creates stable and long-term employment for neurodiverse people, took out the Social Enterprise of the Year Award.

Congratulations to QSEC members Australian Spatial Analytics!

Read more here.

The United Nations’ most recent report paints a grim picture, signaling that the world is veering off course and unlikely to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030.

As we face a triple threat – climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution – our progress towards these global goals has come to a halt. Despite significant strides in reducing extreme poverty, there are now more undernourished people than before. Additionally, efforts towards achieving gender equality have stagnated, and a record number of individuals have been displaced due to conflict and violence.

Various factors have contributed to this slowdown, including the COVID-19 pandemic, the ongoing war in Ukraine, and escalating levels of inequality. The UN Secretary-General António Guterres warns that we are staring at a potential storm of crises that could further impede our progress towards the SDGs. He emphasises the urgent need to redouble our efforts and take immediate action to address these challenges.

Adopted by the United Nations in 2015, the 17 SDGs were designed to eradicate poverty, protect the environment, and ensure peace and prosperity for all by 2030. They provide a crucial framework for global action on sustainable development. However, current progress is far from satisfactory, with only 12% of assessed targets likely to meet the 2030 deadline.

Read more here!

According to a new report, social enterprise outperforms Disability Employment Services (DES) on retention, individual earnings and cost savings to government.

The three-year $3.8M landmark trial, which commenced in July 2022, is exploring the effectiveness of jobs-focused social enterprises in delivering long-term employment outcomes for people living with a disability.

Up to 170 people living with a disability will be supported into award wage employment with one of 15 jobs-focused social enterprises participating in the trial.

As each person achieves milestones in their employment, the social enterprise employing and supporting them will receive outcomes-based payments at 6, 12 and 18 months, as well as additional payments when an employee chooses to transition to another employer.

Read more here.

If you are the founder of a startup in Australia, or a supporter of startups in Australia (educators, investors, accelerators, incubators, coworking spaces, service providers and any other organisations supporting startups), please contribute your data below to help show what’s happening in Australia's startup ecosystem.

Startup Muster 2023

The textile industry still exists in Australia, but it’s misunderstood and strengthening it will be essential in addressing environmental and social problems. Brent Balinski speaks to Meriel Chamberlin, founder of Full Circle Fibres.

Read more here.

The Tivoli Social Enterprises Limited is an Ipswich organisation that has trained more than 550 unemployed people or high school students and has raised more than $380,000 for local groups and charities since 2008 through its Tivoli Community and Events Centre program.

Last week the Queensland Government recognised this commendable work in its 2023 Queensland Training Awards by awarding Tivoli Social Enterprise with the Community Training Initiative of the Year for their Tivoli Community and Events Centre program.

Tivoli Social Enterprise is one of the 11 regional winners from Brisbane and Ipswich that have been announced in the 62nd Queensland Training Awards.

“Congratulations to Tivoli Social Enterprises Limited which was awarded Community Training Initiative of the Year for their Tivoli Community and Events Centre program that provides entertainment, food and welfare support for the Ipswich community,” said Minister for Training and Skills Development Di Farmer.

Read more here!

More than $39.6 million toward the next Skilling Queenslanders for Work initiative in 2023-24 has been announced.

The funds will support 162 projects and assist more than 5300 Queenslanders across the state for skills development, training and job opportunities for the unemployed, disengaged or disadvantaged Queenslanders through a suite of targeted skills and training programs.

The next round of Skilling Queenslanders for Work is now open.

Applications for the 2023–24 second funding round close at 5pm on Thursday 21 September 2023.

For more information about Skilling Queenslanders for Work, go to the below links:

https://desbt.qld.gov.au/training/training-careers/incentives/sqw

https://desbt.qld.gov.au/training/community-orgs/funded/sqw?fbclid=IwAR3bywSwBzM1JEkm-WSAv0q8DrZliWDCFrA179BOO9u0I6wmoHYaU468BmU

Public transport service Transdev has started a trial at its Sydney Light Rail and Sydney and Queensland bus operations to recycle old uniforms.

Clean technology company BlockTexx operates Australia’s only commercial-scale textile recovery facility, which uses a patent-pending chemical process to break down polyester-cotton blended fabrics.

The recovered cellulose can then be used to make textiles, paints, hydromulch, concrete and more. The recovered polyester is used to make textiles and in injection moulding for playground equipment and coat hangers.

Brian Brennan, Transdev Chief Executive Officer, said the new partnership was another practical way Transdev was acting on sustainability, innovation and social enterprise.

“Recycling old uniforms, which would otherwise be dumped, is much more sustainable. And using a more innovative process to recover higher-grade fibres with the help of a social enterprise with supported workers, just makes sense,” Brennan said.

It’s the pursuit of technology-driven ideals that sits well with Adrian Jones, co-founder of BlockTexx.

“BlockTexx closes the loop of unwanted clothing and textiles by diverting these materials from landfill. Through our advanced remanufacturing processes textiles are given a second life.

“We’ve also partnered with social impact organisation HELP Enterprises. Their skilled workforce completed the pre-processing by removing labels, buttons and zippers from the uniforms.”

Read the post here - congratulations HELP Enterprises!

Full Circle Fibres are beyond excited to be one of three inaugural projects funded by the Country Road Climate Fund, Australia’s first fashion industry climate fund.

Mud to Marle is an industry collaboration led by Full Circle Fibres, a B Corp certified social enterprise, alongside Deakin University and local fibre producers including Geelong Textiles; Ridgehaven, NSW (wool grower); and Australian Super Cotton, QLD (cotton grower).

Mud to Marle will focus on turning lower value wool fibre into a high value product by combining it with premium cotton. The project will pilot and test proof of concept end-to-end on-shore manufacturing, including spinning, knitting, weaving and dyeing in Australia.

Circularity and climate is central to this project, which in addition to using ‘lower value,’ wool fibres, will support local production and low impact production methods. The long-term aim of this project is to grow on-shore manufacturing capabilities and circular production systems within Australia.

Read more at the blog post here!

For Brisbane and Cairns people...

There's a subsidized opportunity for organisations or individuals to attend Dr Ruth Knight's Social Impact Evaluation Principles and Practices QUT course.

This course aims to provide a broad overview of key skills relating to evaluation and impact measurement whilst equipping participants with the skills to foster a learning culture, where evaluation is used to prove and improve the impact of programs and services.

Check out more below:

https://professional-education.qut.edu.au/study/s/product/social-impact-evaluation-principles-and-practices/01t8q000000Eu1eAAC