19 Nov 2025
On Social Enterprise Day, we’re celebrating the more than 3,500 social enterprises in Victoria that are committed to making a difference.
Social enterprises put people and planet first by blending business with social purpose. They trade to invest profits back into delivering public or community benefit. In Victoria, they employ around 60,000 people and generate $5.2 billion annually.
If you are looking to make a difference with your business, learn how one woman started her business with a vision and is now breaking gender stereotypes.
Sheforce Recruitment & Labour Hire
In 2021, Sally Caruana launched Sheforce, a recruitment, labour hire and group training organisation during the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic. Sally saw an opportunity to help women find rewarding careers in the construction industry.
‘I knew that if I could support them in entering the construction industry, they’d gain financial independence, real choices and the dignity of a secure future. That vision became Sheforce,’ says Sally.
Sheforce now proudly recruits women, youth, culturally and linguistically diverse people, Indigenous people, ex-offenders, long term unemployed jobseekers and non-binary people for the construction industry.
Their aim is to create a world with equal, inclusive workplaces where everyone is valued, respected and supported.
As the founder and CEO of Sheforce, Sally reflects on the first year in operation – ‘the first year was slow setting up, but we’ve grown stronger every year since.’
The success of the business, as Sally puts it, comes down to being ‘unapologetically different’. Sheforce is 100% owned and led by women in an industry that’s still overwhelmingly male-dominated. As a certified social enterprise, it reinvests 50% of its profits into training, upskilling and community-led impact.
‘Our business model is built on purpose. Our partners are active collaborators in driving equity, inclusion and meaningful change. Every placement advances equity. Every partnership shifts the industry forward.’
Sally’s story shows that if you stay focused on your goal, growth will come.
I started Sheforce as one woman with a vision. Today, we’re a team of 7 in our office, creating tangible impact and reshaping the industry. Back yourself, build with integrity, and surround yourself with people who believe in the mission and embody its values. So far, we’ve placed more than 150 people into various construction roles and currently have 40 of our people on worksites across Victoria.
Become a social enterprise
What is a social enterprise and what support is available to further your social mission? Find out more with Social enterprise.
If you’re already a social enterprise you can join an organisation for accreditation.