Social Enterprise Vision Clicking Into Place

A digital twist on the classic model of supported employment is the culmination of personal struggles with depression, a career as a social sector executive and almost a decade of study for one Melbourne woman, writes Nadia Boyce in this week’s Spotlight on Social Enterprise.

Online store In the Click is the result of social sector veteran Julie McKay’s desire to help others attain what helped her through difficult times: a job.

The organisation was established with the goal of providing sustainable supported employment in Melbourne’s northern suburbs, where McKay says there is a large and growing migrant community, youth unemployment is up to nearly 40 per cent and people with a disability are 50 percent less likely to have a job.

The store is run simply from an eBay platform and offers a curated selection of high-end lifestyle wares, supporting the employment of local warehouse and logistics workers.

But the enterprising and endlessly ambitious McKay also has grander plans – with hopes to exploit her business model to facilitate the movement of supported employees into white collar territory as the jobs traditionally offered in the disability market go offshore.

On the eve of the launch of her first official community program, Nadia Boyce spoke to McKay about the start-up process, staying relevant and competitive in a saturated market, and how her own motivation has come from a place most personal.

Read the full article on Pro Bono Australia here.