by Alexandra Goodenough, General Manager of Hero Foundation

With over 600,000 Australians unemployed and nearly two million underemployed, the issue isn’t whether Australia has a jobs problem; it’s how effectively we’re connecting people to the right opportunities. At Hero Foundation, Employment Hero’s social impact initiative, our answer is clear: we must unlock new pathways to employment for those who have long been overlooked by the system.

Hero Foundation was established with a bold but simple mission; to help unlock one million job opportunities by 2034 for individuals facing barriers to employment. These include people with disabilities, migrants, women with lived experience of domestic and family violence, frontline workers, carers, and neurodivergent individuals. Too often, these talented and capable individuals are boxed out of traditional hiring processes. It’s time we changed that.

Through the unique power of Employment Hero’s recruitment technology, trusted by more than 300,000 businesses globally, we connect people with potential employers, mentors, and training opportunities. But Hero Foundation is more than a jobs board; we are working to fill the critical gaps in our employment support ecosystem, particularly for small and medium businesses (SMBs) that often lack the time and resources to consider alternative talent pools.

Corporate Australia has made meaningful strides in creating inclusive recruitment programs. However, many SMBs are still missing from this movement, not due to a lack of care, but a lack of capacity. Hero Foundation offers a ready-made bridge. We enable businesses to do good while finding loyal, skilled, and motivated employees. It’s not about charity, it’s about recognising talent in all its forms.

In under six months, we’ve already seen the early impact of our approach. We’ve partnered with seven social purpose organisations, connected over 100 candidates with education and mentoring, and placed our first four candidates into meaningful employment. With philanthropic support from partners such as Canva Foundation, we’ve also helped candidates access interviews and career-readiness tools that would otherwise be out of reach.

Our success so far wouldn’t be possible without the belief and dedication of our partners. Ed Milne, General Manager of People and Culture at Air-Met Scientific, recently hired one of our candidates and shared a powerful insight: “For people who’ve faced constant rejection, there is innate loyalty and commitment when they are given a supported opportunity.” This speaks to the untapped potential of inclusive hiring, not just from a social impact lens, but from a business performance perspective.

Dominique Evele, CEO of Amber Aged Care, was our first employer partner. A lifelong advocate for accessibility, Dominique highlights how Hero Foundation provides SMBs with a practical way to contribute to social change, without overburdening their existing recruitment processes. This is a critical step in bringing equity to all corners of the employment ecosystem.

We’re also grateful to changemakers like Melanie Greblo, Founder of Humans of Purpose, whose partnership has helped amplify the voice of women seeking re-entry into the workforce. “Hero Foundation is the missing piece of the puzzle,” she told us, and we couldn’t agree more.

As we scale, our vision remains unchanged: a global platform where every person, regardless of background or barrier, can access meaningful employment. This is not just about jobs, it’s about dignity, purpose and creating a more resilient and inclusive economy. We believe that one job can change a life. A million jobs? That changes the future.

For more information, visit: employmenthero.com/hero-foundation

About Alexandra Goodenough: 

Alexandra serves as the General Manager of Hero Foundation, Employment Hero's recently launched social impact initiative. Bringing over 12 years of diverse experience in public policy, strategic partnerships, government, and corporate law, Alex is at the forefront of the Foundation's mission to facilitate one million employment opportunities for those facing barriers to work. Her career journey has consistently been driven by a passion for social change and a commitment to ensuring her work creates a net positive impact on others. Prior to leading Hero Foundation, Alex gained valuable insights as a corporate lawyer, a NSW government political staffer, and in Sales & Strategy at an Australian health-tech start-up, all contributing to her holistic understanding of building sustainable systems and relationships and driving positive outcomes.