In the 2024-25 Federal Budget, the Government announced a new Paid Employment Pathways Package, in partnership with employers across Australia, that will focus on job seekers with barriers to work who are seeking to connect to job opportunities and achieve sustained employment.
About the program
WorkFoundations, one of the initiatives in the Paid Employment Pathways package, will invest $10 million to assist job seekers with complex barriers to employment to build their work readiness, with funding for social enterprises and businesses to deliver paid employment placements of up to 6 months with tailored, wrap around services.
The new program will be implemented via an open, competitive grant opportunity and will fund projects that:
- assist job seekers with complex vocational and/or non-vocational barriers to build their work readiness in a nurturing work environment, and
- provide tailored wrap around services to address their barriers to employment; gaining real life experience in jobs that suit their skills, interests and needs; and earning real wage
WorkFoundations grant opportunity
The WorkFoundations Grant has opened.
Applications will be accepted between 14 January 2025 and 11 February 2025.
The WorkFoundations grant opportunity will enable social enterprises and businesses to provide tailored, paid employment placements with integrated wrap around services for eligible job seekers with complex barriers to employment.
This 2 year grant opportunity will fund paid employment pathways specifically designed to assist eligible job seekers who are not yet competitive in the open labour market and need additional services to enter (or re-enter) the workforce.