Jane Hunt, the CEO of Fitted for Work is the only Australian among 20 international winners selected by The Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship, in the 2012 Global Social Entrepreneur of the Year competition.
In 2012 1,000 applicants from around the world were considered for the prestigious award and each year only 20-25 social entrepreneurs are selected by the Foundation for their efforts in innovation, sustainability, reach and social impact.
Jane Hunt (pictured), recognised for her work assisting women experiencing disadvantage, recently represented Australia in a global network of more than 200 outstanding social entrepreneurs and 1,500 leaders at the Annual Meeting of New Champions on September 11 2012 in Tianjin, China.
“As the only Australian recipient of the ‘Global Social Entrepreneur of the Year Award 2012’ I am extremely proud to be recognised on a global scale for the contribution Fitted for Work has made to innovation and social change in Australia,” said Jane Hunt.
Since 2005, Fitted for Work has transformed the lives of 10,000 women across Australia by helping them to obtain and maintain employment. Fitted for Work provides free interview-appropriate clothing through personal dressing services as well as mentoring and transition-to-work programs.
“Recognition of Fitted for Work’s success in such a domain is truly a milestone for the organisation,” said Jane Hunt. “This award is testament to our innovative approach and its relevance on a global scale. We hope that such wide-spread recognition will assist with our future efforts to help women in Australia experiencing disadvantage as without ongoing resources none of our work is possible.”
In close collaboration with stakeholders of the World Economic Forum, the Schwab Foundation provides platforms at the regional and global level to highlight and advance leading models of sustainable social innovation. A select community of social entrepreneurs are identified each year by the Foundation with the aim of shaping global, regional and industry agendas that improve the state of the world.
The contribution made by Jane Hunt and Fitted for Work will also be honoured at a plenary session in front of 2,700 international guests at the World Economic Forum (an initiative of The Schwab Foundation) from 23-27 January 2013 in Switzerland.