The WorkFoundations program provides funding for social enterprises and businesses to deliver paid employment placements for up to 6 months.
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 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 wages.
Eligibility
The program is available to participants who are:
- registered with Workforce Australia Services, Transition to Work or Parent Pathways,
- face at least one barrier to employment that they are willing to address with support, and
- are willing to accept ongoing work after the placement ends.
Additionally, for those participants registered with Workforce Australia Services, they must have been unemployed for 12 months or more and/or have no recent work experience.
Funding
WorkFoundations is funded as part of the Paid Employment Pathways Package through a competitive grants process.
Grant agreements for this program were finalised in July 2025.
