Our History

The Job Creation Project is best known for it's Sweets Stands that are now in more than 11,000 premises across Queensland, New South Wales and the ACT. As far as we know, we were the first organisation to take an honesty based sweet and snack food service to the market. The Sweets Project started it's life in a garage in the suburbs of Brisbane as a fundraising project. During our first five years of life we donated in excess of $500,000 to community organisations and programs in the three states.

Unfortunately as costs increased, and several competitors joined us in the market place, the ability to donate to so many causes became increasingly difficult, and in 1996 the decision was taken to concentrate on employment services and the Jobline service was established. This free service aims at getting local applicants placed with local businesses, and is financed totally through the sale of the sweets.

We are proud that we have managed to continue our commitment to using Aussie sweets, snacks and packaging despite competition who often use much cheaper imported alternatives. We have created more than twenty independent areas that operate autonomously and provide jobs and incomes for local people within those communities. Two of these people have now been servicing stands for over fourteen years, and another three for more than ten years... and we are still fully committed to providing meaningful work for the intellectually handicapped team who have hand packed our products since 1991.

Rob Auld & Wayne Budd receiving 10 Year Service Awards in 2002

We are also extremely proud that we have been able to achieve all our aims, including our community services, without receiving a single dollar in government money, nor any form of tax relief whatsoever. We set out to establish a company that would demonstrate that it was possible to run an ethical business that gave back to the community from which it derived it's profits, a goal we continue to strive to achieve daily.

It was this aim that has led us to establishing the Local Business Directory, a program aimed at decreasing costs and increasing sales for locally owned businesses. With this exciting new phase, we look forward to growing in partnership with the businesses who support us. If you are already "on board" we thank you for your support, for our success is due to the support of businesses like yours. If not, we invite you to join us, by having a stand & supporting a job for your local serviceperson.

Click here to learn more about the Sweets Project.