As part of its waste diversion activities, Workwear Group seeks opportunities to donate excess or obsolete workwear items to not-for-profit organisations and/or individuals in need. This ensures an extended or second life for unused clothing and reduces Workwear Group’s potential emissions impacts. 

Workwear Group provides a second life for unused workwear

In FY24, Workwear Group New Zealand donated 5,100 kilograms of unused workwear items to the New Zealand Department of Corrections. These items were then available for permanently or temporarily released prisoners, including those undertaking employment opportunities through the Department of Corrections’ work release program, which aims to reduce the likelihood of reoffending. 

In Australia, Workwear Group donated 14 pallets of new workwear items to The Salvation Army to be sold in their stores. Profits from instore purchases are used to help fund The Salvation Army programs to end hunger and homelessness, and to build stronger families and communities. 

Workwear Group celebrates its collaboration with Indigenous Australian artists and the Fred Hollows Foundation.

Celebrating Indigenous Artistry

Workwear Group selected The Big Issue to become our partner for an initial three year period.

Workwear Group announces three-year partnership with The Big Issue

Celebrating Indigenous Artistry  | Workwear Group

At Workwear Group, we have always valued and celebrated diverse cultures and artistic expressions. Today, we are delighted to share a special collaboration that highlights the rich heritage and creative talent of Indigenous Australian artists. Through these unique collaborations, we aim to showcase the beauty of Indigenous art while promoting inclusivity and supporting local communities.

Our iconic brand, NNT Uniforms (NNT), has embarked on a remarkable journey of collaboration with the Warlukurlangu Artists Aboriginal Corporation. We believe that incorporating Indigenous art into our workwear not only adds a vibrant touch but also fosters a deeper connection with the land, stories, and traditions of Australia’s First Nations People.

Through these collaborations, we have had the privilege of working with talented Indigenous artists from the Yuendumu community. By engaging directly with Warlukurlangu Artists Aboriginal Corporation and the artists, we ensure that their culture and artistic integrity are respected and celebrated.

Together with these artists, we have co-created workwear designs that showcase their distinct styles, storytelling, and Jukurrpa (dreamings). These designs honour the artists’ cultural heritage while blending seamlessly into a healthcare environment. Each garment becomes a canvas for Indigenous artistry, allowing individuals to wear and embrace the spirit of Indigenous Australia.

Earlier this year, NNT had the remarkable opportunity to donate 50 of these Indigenous polos, each adorned with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags, to the Fred Hollows Foundation’s annual uniform update. The Fred Hollows Foundation is a renowned not-for-profit aid organisation founded in 1992 that focuses on treating and preventing blindness and other vision problems. Their clinics provide a safe environment where First Nations People can access the critical treatments they need.

Each of the donated polos donned the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags, as well as the Fred Hollows logo and website details, serving as a symbol of unity and progress. They were received by the dedicated professionals on the ground in Northern Territory in March 2023 and debuted at their annual conference in May.

At Workwear Group, we are honoured to collaborate with Indigenous Australian artists and the Fred Hollows Foundation. Through our collaborations, we celebrate the profound beauty of Indigenous art, support visionary healthcare initiatives, and empower Indigenous communities. 

Workwear Group announces three-year partnership with The Big Issue.

The Big Issue partnership

NNT supports next-generation of healthcare heroes with a donation of 200 sets of scrubs.

NNT donates 200 sets of scrubs

Workwear Group continues to support First Nations People to create a brighter future through CareerTrackers.

Workwear Group's commitment to Indigenous futures through education

Workwear Group is dedicated to ensuring that our businesses are places where First Nations People feel welcome and valued as employees, customers, suppliers, and citizens. With this front of mind, we look for partnerships that can provide opportunities for Indigenous persons, and this is why we started our relationship with CareerTrackers.

On October 29, 2009, CareerTrackers was born – a national non-profit with the goal of creating pathways and support systems for Indigenous young adults to attend and graduate from university, with high marks, industry experience, and bright professional futures.

The success of the program has been recognised by employers, governments and, most importantly, Indigenous communities throughout Australia. CareerTrackers students complete university at higher rates than their non-Indigenous peers, and 95% of Alumni are in full-time employment in their field within three months of graduation.

The underpinning philosophy at CareerTrackers is ‘Students at the Core’. Our Port Melbourne office was privileged to host intern Lucinda, a student undertaking a bachelor's degree in textiles at RMIT with a strong interest in sustainable textiles – a perfect fit for our business!

Lucinda’s 2 months with Workwear Group was split between two departments, our Design team headed by Arthur Thomasse, and our Textiles department, managed at the time by Walter Peters.

Get to know Lucinda:

Lucinda grew up in the Macedon ranges with her mum, dad and two younger siblings. Growing up she felt disconnected from her Aboriginal heritage as her Papa was part of the stolen generation. This meant she grew up not belonging to any particular mob or Indigenous community. It’s only lately that she has begun to find her place and celebrate her heritage through the help of ‘CareerTrackers’.

All through high school, Lucinda was drawn to creative outlets and when it came time to selecting a course to set herself up for the future, she found herself juggling between many options. After attending an open day at RMIT University, Lucinda gravitated to Textile Design. 

WWG: Can you tell me a bit about your course, how far along are you, what do you want to be doing once you have finished study?

Lucinda: I'm studying a bachelor of textiles design at RMIT in Brunswick and I have just started my second year. The course works across lots of different disciplines eg. fashion and interiors, to create many varying textile outcomes.

Once I’ve finished studying I’d like to work for a design business to gain some experience. Ideally, I'd like to work somewhere with a mix between print, fabric design, and fashion.

WWG: Have you previously done an internship?

Lucinda: No, this is my first internship.

WWG: Why did you select Workwear Group for your internship?

Lucinda: I selected Workwear Group for my internship experience as I felt the internship position aligned really well with my personal interests and skills. I also felt it was a really great opportunity for my own personal growth and to increase my confidence. Workwear group also seemed like a very interesting company and I was intrigued to learn and know more.

WWG: What was your experience like interning at Workwear Group?

Lucinda: My experience at Workwear Group was amazing. Everyone was very welcoming and helpful throughout my entire time here. I felt like I was very immersed in everything going on and learned so much. I was involved in so many exciting and engaging tasks/projects that have taught me many new skills.

WWG: What was your favourite part of your internship?

Lucinda: My favourite part of the internship was being able to work closely with some of the designers. Over my 2 months here I was really lucky to be able to complete quite a bit of design work as well as really get to know the designers and their processes.

WWG: How has the internship helped you towards your career goals?

Lucinda: This internship has given me so much experience and an amazing chance to build on my professional skills. I will be able to take these new skills and experiences into my future studies and career life. It has also helped me to make contacts with the many people I have worked with over my time here.

WWG: If you could write a review about working at Workwear Group, what would you say?

Lucinda: Workwear group is a really efficient and collaborative business. Everyone working here is so passionate about the work that they do and the things they produce are largely impressive. I feel very privileged to have been given this opportunity to work with and amongst everyone here.


If you would like more information about our partnership with CareerTrackers, or you are interested in partnering with Workwear Group, please fill in our contact us form here.

For children in isolated communities, getting access to books can be tough - getting access to books in their mother tongue can be even harder.

Supporting literacy in Indigenous Communities

The Big Issue Partership

Ready Set are incredibly grateful for the support they have received from NNT Uniforms, who have been donating clothing for the past 2 years.

NNT Uniforms supporting Ready Set

Ready Set was established as Wear for Success in 2011 by a group of dedicated individuals, many of whom are still involved. They recognised that helping people experiencing economic hardship through unemployment prepare for job interviews can significantly improve their psychological, physical and financial wellbeing. They knew that increased confidence could ultimately enable greater participation in life and an increased sense of social inclusion.

After the year that was 2020, while unemployment numbers may have decreased, employment has gone down by at least 30,000* as well and establishing a career from the ground-up can look quite bleak. The team at NNT Uniforms knew they had to step in to help Australians get back on their feet to prepare for the next step in their career journey.

We know that when you look good, you feel good, and going into an interview, you need to put your best foot forward. As such, we have donated over 1,400 units of corporate apparel to Ready Set to give job seekers the best chance possible. There is no time like the present to give a little cheer and confidence for prosperity, particularly to those who have and continue to experience challenging times.

Ready Set’s new CEO, Wendy Draayers is very grateful for the donations made by NNT Uniforms over the past 2 years. We have seen a shift with the majority of unemployed people having to change careers, and often upskill their experience in order to find a new job. Understanding this, we made sure to include a variety of workwear such as industrial wear and safety footwear, which helped fit those working in newly created roles such as COVID marshals, COVID cleaners and more. 

"Ready Set are incredibly grateful for the generosity and support we have received from our wonderful partner, NNT Uniforms, who have been donating beautiful clothing to us for the past 2 years.

"Ready Set supports members of our community who are experiencing hardship and require assistance to gain and retain employment, including people with a disability, refugees and asylum seekers, women who have escaped domestic violence and those recently released from the justice system. The programs and services offered by Ready Set are designed to support our clients to achieve long term, sustainable financial security for themselves, and their families to empower them to create the life they dream of. To date, Ready Set has worked with over 8500 individual clients.

"The clothing we receive from NNT Uniforms is provided free of charge to our clients during a one-on-one personal styling session. We know the clothing our clients receive is not life changing, but the dignity and confidence it brings them can be.  Once appropriately and professionally attired our clients are ready to attend job interviews and (hopefully) secure employment. Working is good for our health, wellbeing, and happiness. It builds confidence, self-esteem and brings financial rewards and, for many of our clients it breaks the intergenerational cycle of poverty. Being employed truly changes lives! We are truly grateful to NNT Uniforms for helping us help others."
- Wendy Draayers, CEO of Ready Set

* Australia Bureau of Statistics

Workwear Group's Commitment to Indigenous futures through education

Supporting Literacy in Indigenous Communities

Only 36% of Indigenous Year 5 students in very remote areas are at or above national minimum reading standards, compared to 96% for non-Indigenous students in major cities, according to the 2019 National Assessment Program for Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN).

The situation is improving but there is still a long way to go and the challenges are immense.

Apart from the historical, health, social, and educational disadvantage issues, many remote communities don’t have many, if any, books. 

Workwear Group has been donating to the foundation since 2017 to aid in supporting the delivery of books to give children in these remote regions more opportunities to read and build their literacy skills. Our fundraising comes from sales on a specially designed boot, using the artwork from renowned Indigenous designer Sally Morgan.

We also believe in sharing information to create more awareness about organisations such as ILF, please watch this 3 minute video highlighting how each donation impacts the lives of children in remote Indigenous communities.

The Big Issue Partnership | Workwear Group

Access to employment and job security is a significant social problem in Australia and for marginalised and vulnerable people (for example indigenous, women, refugees, people with disabilities) there are far more barriers than opportunities. 

Workwear Group believes that having access to meaningful work is an imperative.  Beyond the financial need, it gives people a sense of purpose, identity, pride, independence, and achievement.  It instils self-esteem and confidence.  It’s good for physical and emotional health and helps to develop skills and social networks. 
 
Workwear Group selected The Big Issue to become our partner for an initial three-year period.  The Big Issue is an independent, not-for-profit organisation dedicated to creating work opportunities for people experiencing homelessness, marginalisation and disadvantage. Simply put, they help people help themselves.
 
Our contribution to the partnership will involve an annual financial commitment, as well as skilled and unskilled volunteering opportunities for our team members Australia-wide, and the potential for product support, through uniforms and workwear for The Big Issue magazine sellers and broader teams.
 
Established in 1996, The Big Issue is proud to be Australia’s longest standing and most successful social enterprise. For 25 years they have helped Australians experiencing disadvantage to help themselves - by providing them with the opportunity to earn an income by selling The Big Issue magazine. 
 
They are a true social enterprise, uniquely supporting anyone who wants to earn an income with immediate, no-barrier, access to work opportunities. In addition to selling the magazine, employment opportunities are made available through several enterprises established and operated by The Big Issue including:

Part of Workwear Group’s support includes a focus on The Women’s Workforce which to date has employed more than 185 women across four states. For many women, selling The Big Issue is not a safe or viable option, particularly for those fleeing domestic violence or caring for children. The Women’s Workforce offers these women employment packing magazines for The Big Issue subscriber base as well as procurement jobs for organisations and government departments such as picking and packing, mail-outs and letterbox drops.

Since kicking off our partnership in February of 2022, our team have volunteered across several Big Issue activities and programs nationally, including:



Having senior leaders participating in "The Big Sell", in Melbourne and Brisbane hitting the streets trying their hand at selling the magazine alongside vendors;

Joining a shift alongside the Women’s Workforce to help pack and mail magazines to subscribers, in recognition of International Women’s Day;

Attending fortnightly magazine launches and assisting with breakfast preparation for vendors;

Playing soccer alongside the Community Street Soccer Program;

Taking part in a half day Big Issue Challenge to learn about The Big Issue, hear from a guest speaker and sell magazines in teams alongside vendors;

Assisting vendors to complete a Big Issue social impact survey.

Additionally, we had the opportunity of attending a talk by George Halkias, National Street Soccer Coach at The Big Issue during Homelessness Week which helped to put these activities into perspective.

We look forward to working with The Big Issue in 2023 and beyond!

NNT Uniforms, Australia’s leading corporate and healthcare uniform apparel brand supports the next generation of healthcare heroes by donating 200 sets of scrubs to the Australian College of Nursing.

The donation is one part of NNT Uniforms ‘Thanking our Healthcare Heroes’ campaign, which will see $18,000 worth of scrubs donated to the next generation of frontline workers in Australia.

In addition to this donation, NNT Uniforms is also showing its gratitude with messages of appreciation and support across digital billboards in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.

Vanessa Marven, Head of Marketing & Customer Service, Workwear Group Uniforms, said the business wanted to put its support behind the next-generation of healthcare professionals and to show our thanks to our heroes currently on the frontline.

“Month after month throughout the pandemic, we have been reminded of just how critical the role of our healthcare professionals is, in caring for our community and keeping us safe.

“We wanted to thank those who have put their lives on the line for us every day, as part of their job, as well as to acknowledge the next generation of healthcare professionals coming through.

“We hope that by partnering with the Australian College of Nursing to provide uniforms, we will be supporting the graduating students in some small way as they transition into their careers. We wish them all the best.”

The Australian College of Nursing’s CEO Adjunct Professor Kylie Ward FACN said“I’m delighted to accept this donation on behalf of the Australian College of Nursing and really appreciate the spirit in which it is being provided. Nurses at all stages of their careers, from early to mid and executive level, are feeling the strain of the pandemic right now following 18 months dedicated to keeping all Australians safe and cared for. I’d like to thank NNT Uniforms and Workwear Group Uniforms for acknowledging our profession through the donation of 200 sets of scrubs”.

Marven added that the campaign aims to honour the work healthcare professionals do and to say thank you to those who are on the frontline and who often put themselves ‘on hold’ to meet the needs of others.

The campaign will appear in outdoor, trade press and digital media throughout November and December.
