WorkVentures is a Not for Profit and social enterprise focused on transforming Australia through technology, skills and meaningful career pathways. It addresses digital inclusion and cyber security gaps by providing affordable technology packs and advisory services to targeted communities. Key initiatives include:
- IT Solutions – Provides digital access, connectivity, digital skills and training, and cyber security for not for-profits.
- Youth Employment Solutions (YES) – This program focuses on reducing youth unemployment through traineeships, cyber cadetships, and work placements.
- Logistic Solutions – Manages the collection, decommissioning, wiping, and storing of technology to support digital inclusion programs.
- Technical Solutions – It involves refurbishing and repairing used devices, thus reducing e-waste and extending the life of technology.
WorkVentures integrates social impact with sustainable business practices to progress our vision of an equitable Australia where everyone can thrive.
The core mission of WorkVentures is to transform Australia through technology skills and meaningful career pathways. This mission is crucial because it aims to:
- Bridge the digital divide: Ensuring equitable access to technology, connectivity, and the skills and safety to use them, which is essential for full participation in the modern world.
- Provide equitable career opportunities: Creating pathways for disadvantaged communities to enter and thrive in the workforce.
- Promote a circular economy: Reducing e-waste by refurbishing and reusing technology.
By focusing on these areas, WorkVentures not only addresses immediate needs but also fosters long-term social inclusion and economic resilience.
WorkVentures offers various programs that significantly impact individuals and communities:
- IT Solutions:
- Impact: Provides affordable access to technology, internet connectivity, digital skills training and online safety, thus enhancing digital inclusion for those who need it.
They deliver this impact through specific sub-programs:
- National Device Bank:
- Impact: This ambitious, cross-sector program aims to generate 1m device donation pledges to create a bank of refurbished devices available for free to communities in Australia who face digital inequity. Collects, refurbishes and redistributes devices to individuals and communities, enhancing digital connectivity and ensuring more people have the technology needed to participate in the digital world.
- Cyber Security Solutions:
- Impact: Focuses on protecting NFPs that are particularly vulnerable to cyber threats. This program identifies risks, provides cyber security services, and educates NFPs on best practices to safeguard their digital assets and sensitive information.
- Youth Employment Solutions (YES):
- Impact: Reduces youth unemployment by providing training, entry-level job opportunities, and ongoing support for trainees.
- Technical Solutions:
- Impact: Extends the life of technology through repair, thus minimizing e-waste and supporting environmental sustainability.
- Logistic Solutions:
- Impact: Manages the end-of-life process for technology, ensuring secure decommissioning and recycling, contributing to a circular economy.
These programs collectively empower individuals, enhance community resilience, and promote sustainability.
Digital inclusion at WorkVentures means ensuring that all individuals, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds, have access to the technology, internet connectivity, and the skills and safety to use them to participate fully in the digital world. This is significant because:
- Education and Employment: Access to digital tools and skills is crucial for education and employment opportunities.
- Health and Services: Increasingly, essential services, including health, are moving online, making digital access vital.
- Social Connection: Technology helps maintain social connections, reducing isolation and improving mental health.
WorkVentures addresses these needs by providing affordable technology, training, and support to bridge the digital divide, thereby fostering equitable social and economic participation. The National Device Bank plays a critical role in this by ensuring that redistributed devices reach those most in need.
Jobs Australia Members can support WorkVentures’ mission in several ways:
- Support for the National Device Bank: Their ambition for the National Device Bank is that no one in Australia will need to go without an appropriate device. To do this they need to substantially uplift the devices which are donated for refurbishment. They would love to talk to any Jobs Australia Members interested in supporting this exciting initiative, whether it’s with devices of your own or potentially supporting their advocacy for this program more broadly with potential partners of influence.
- Partnerships: Collaborating on joint initiatives to enhance their collective impact upon reducing unemployment of more vulnerable cohorts. WorkVentures would also love to discuss ways that they can leverage their knowledge and insights into digital inclusion to enhance the impact of other members’ own programs.
- Advocacy and Awareness: Promoting the importance of digital inclusion and equitable career opportunities within their networks and communities.
- Volunteering: Engaging in volunteer opportunities to support WorkVentures’ programs and events.
Jobs Australia is thrilled to include the 2023 Social Impact Report video from WorkVentures below for your viewing.
To find out more about WorkVentures, visit their website here.