Designing Our Futures offers a 24-month Certificate III in Apparel, Fashion and Textiles, accredited by RMIT and delivered by us. Backed by best-practice research and with 15+ years of experience, the program features small class sizes and dedicated support from teachers with rich industry skills and experience supporting students from refugee and migrant backgrounds. Our ...
The Social Studio
Designing Our Futures – Enhancing Student Pathways in Apparel, Fashion and Textiles
GOAL
$20,000
Australia > VIC > Metro
Field of Interest
- Community and economic development
- Education/training and employment
Target Population
- Asylum seekers, refugees, migrants and people from CALD backgrounds
- People experiencing socio-economic disadvantage or vulnerability
The Social Studio
The Social Studio is a not-for-profit social enterprise with the purpose of empowering new migrants and refugees and their wider communities to reach their full potential in the fashion industry and beyond. We see a future where welcoming marginalised communities into mainstream society with open arms is the norm.
We empower our participants to design their futures by providing fashion and industry-based solutions to the main barriers they face upon arriving in the community: unemployment, isolation, and difficulties accessing education and training.
We are a fashion school, a retail store, a clothing manufacturer, and a safe place of belonging for refugee and new migrant communities. Each of our business streams plays a role in creating both revenue and impact that drive us towards achieving our mission. Championing diversity, community, education, sustainability, art, creativity, and design through our ethical business practices, we provide opportunities to work and learn for talented migrant and refugee youth.
Since our foundation 16 years ago, we have engaged over 800 people from refugee and migrant backgrounds in our supportive, creative educational programming.
Our social enterprise model means that we generate trade through our manufacturing studio, retail store, and mending and repair service, while fundraising is essential for ensuring that our social impact programs, including our school, traineeships, and community programs can meet the demands of the communities that we support.
Project Summary
Designing Our Futures offers a 24-month Certificate III in Apparel, Fashion and Textiles, accredited by RMIT and delivered by us. Backed by best-practice research and with 15+ years of experience, the program features small class sizes and dedicated support from teachers with rich industry skills and experience supporting students from refugee and migrant backgrounds.
Our Student Pathways Coordinator provides regular one-on-one support to help students set and achieve their education goals, while addressing psycho-social barriers. We are responsive to cultural and religious needs, offering time for prayer and flexibility around significant events. Our school is co-located with our manufacturing and creative teams, giving students real-time learning opportunities, while we support graduates with paid internships and connections to employment pathways.
The program directly supports newly arrived migrant and refugee young people who face barriers to education and employment. These include discrimination, social isolation, unfamiliarity with the Australian labour market, English as an additional language, and a lack of professional networks (Beadle, 2014; CMY, 2020). Many have experienced disrupted or limited schooling and continue to be affected by trauma and other pre-migration experiences, particularly those from refugee backgrounds. These factors create significant challenges to successful integration into Australian society. Current TSS students come from 10 different home countries, representing a rich diversity of cultures, contributing to a safe, connected community where students are supported to realise their full potential.
Project Outcomes
In FY26, we will welcome 8 new students into our program. This project will directly support students in this cohort across the 24-month course and wrap-around support.
Expected outcomes include that all students will:
– Receive recognised accredited TAFE qualifications
– Improve their English language skills
– Improve their social connection
– Grow their professional networks
– Gain the tools, knowledge, skills, and confidence to secure work independently
– Transition into further education or employment opportunities
– Increase their confidence and self-assurance,
– Set, work towards, and achieve their personal goals.
To date, the program has achieved an 80% retention and completion rate, with 75% of graduates transitioning into employment or further education.
We know that our unique and supportive program grows our students' confidence and skills while empowering them to forge their next steps in their independent futures. Our students go on to create their own fashion labels and enterprises, pursue further education, secure permanent jobs, and greatly increase their feelings of confidence and connection—a testament to the catalytic impact of our work.
Budget Breakdown
TOTAL BUDGET: $228,912
FUNDING
| Funding source | Amount |
|---|---|
| Philanthropic Foundations (unconfirmed) | $23,000 |
| Federal Government (unconfirmed) | $40,000 |
| State Government (unconfirmed) | $25,000 |
| The Social Studio Contribution (confirmed) | $25,000 |
| Other funding sources (unconfirmed) | $95,912 |
| Funding gap (unconfirmed) | $20,000 |
EXPENSES
| Expense item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Salaries (teaching and support staff) | $204,121 |
| School materials and equipment maintenance | $7,000 |
| Overheads (rent, utilities) | $14,591 |
| Monitoring and evaluation | $3,200 |
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