Social firms: Enterprise-employment-empowerment

摘要

A 'social firm' is a particular type of social enterprise that seeks an innovative approach for helping disadvantaged groups into enterprise and employment through empowerment. Instead of offering segregated sheltered work spaces, 'social firms' integrate disadvantage workers using a mutual buddying process that not only engages in developing skills and personal development but also instils a sense of social inclusion for all parties. In the United States, such firms are referred to as 'affirmative businesses or social businesses' and in Europe as 'integrated cooperatives or work integration social enterprises' (Milton et al., 2015).