The Work Integration Social Enterprises (WISE) Phase II Research Program – Social Purpose Organizations Serving Black and Other Racialized Groups in Work Integration

Progress report 2023 to 2024

WISE Phase II research program

The WISE Phase II research program is a longitudinal study (2022 to 2027). The goal is to look at the impact of the social enterprise sector on the social and labour market integration of Black and racialized people in Canada. Eleven (11) projects have been selected. Together, they will receive $5.6 million in funding over five years. The program will end on March 31, 2027.

The program will address the following questions:

• What are the characteristics of social enterprises serving Black and racialized groups?
• What are the characteristics of the clients of these social enterprises?
• How, and to what extent, do these social enterprises contribute to the social and labour market integration of Black and racialized people in Canada?

This initiative is preceded by the WISE Phase I research program (2017 to 2022), which examined the impact of social enterprises on the labour market outcomes of:

• people with disabilities
• youth
• recent immigrants
• people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness, and
• Indigenous people

WISE Phase II Workshop 2023 to 2024

Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) organizes annual workshops with the 11 research teams.

The first virtual workshop was held on October 16 and 17, 2023.

The event brought together members of the 11 research teams and ESDC representatives. Each research team presented an overview of their respective projects. These presentations showed that most teams had finished their project plans and had begun the process of recruiting participants and social organizations.

Small group discussions on methodological and practical issues allowed participants to:

• share their challenges
• exchange best practices, and
• reflect on their plans

Some of the topics discussed were:

• the challenges and strategies for recruiting social organizations and participants
• the definitions and characteristics of social organizations
• the indicators of socio-economic inclusion and well-being to consider in the research program, and
• the difficulties encountered in measuring the impact of social organizations

The event allowed the research teams to:

• learn about the research program
• network with other research teams, and
• share ideas and potential solutions to the challenges they faced

Overall, this first workshop helped to support and facilitate the implementation of the research projects and the exchange of information among the 11 research teams.

Contact us

Strategic and Service Policy Branch, Social Policy Directorate, Social Research Division

Email: esdc.nc.sspb.research-recherche.dgpss.cn.edsc@hrsdc-rhdcc.gc.ca