Building a Taxonomy of Jobs-Focused Social Enterprise in Australia

"Building a Taxonomy of Jobs-Focused Social Enterprise in Australia" is an insights report from a University of Melbourne research project, drawing on a survey of 128 attendees at the 2025 Social Enterprise Jobs Summit. It sets out to build a clearer taxonomy, or classification system, of Work Integration Social Enterprises (WISEs): trading organisations that use business activity to create more inclusive employment for people and places excluded from mainstream labour markets. The report responds to a gap in understanding among policymakers and funders about how diverse this sector really is.

The report presents survey results across several areas. It finds WISEs split almost evenly between standalone enterprises and business units embedded in larger organisations, and that most are structured as not-for-profits, though notable minorities operate as for-profit, hybrid or cooperative models. On focus and activity, WISEs most commonly aim to build people's job-readiness or support their transition into long-term work elsewhere, with fewer providing long-term employment directly. Compensation varies too, spanning industrial award wages, supported wage agreements, and unpaid training or internships. On revenue, most WISEs rely on contracts with businesses or open trade with individual customers, with government funding, when present, forming part of a broader mix rather than a dominant source.

Readers will gain a clear, data-based picture of how varied the WISE sector is in structure, purpose and funding, along with an accessible taxonomy that can support more informed policy and funding decisions. This resource is most relevant to policymakers, funders and researchers seeking to better understand or support the WISE sector in Australia.