A new book that showcases stories from seven individuals who work at social enterprises around Australia was launched at the Jobs Australia conference held in mid October. The book is titled, ‘From where I was to where I am’, and features an account from Troy Stone, an employee at WISE social enterprise Equity Labour Services in Tasmania.

‘From where I was to where I am’ was published by Social Traders together with Jobs Australia. Kate Ellis, Minister for Employment Participation, gives a foreword in the book.

“Social enterprises play a valuable role in providing social inclusion opportunities for disadvantaged Australians, and in particular, by helping people into training and meaningful employment.

“The stories within this publication are a powerful reminder of the ways social enterprises can transform the lives of individuals.”

David Thompson, CEO of Jobs Australia and David Brookes, Managing Director of Social Traders describe the different kinds of social enterprises in the introduction (intermediate and destination), and explain the purpose of the book: to raise awareness and understanding about what these businesses actually do, provide insight to the experiences of some people who are employed by them, and to promote workforce participation for disadvantaged job seekers to all employers.

“There is no reason why ‘mainstream’ employers could not also improve and develop their capacity to be supportive and responsive in similar ways [to social enterprises].”

Copies of the book can be obtained from Social Traders for $19.95. Please contact Nicci Hutchinson (nicci.hutchinson@socialtraders.com.au or 8319 8444) for enquiries or with your completed Order Form To learn more about the book you can read the article on the Social Traders website.