About

The Australian Business and Community Network (ABCN) is a not-for-profit organisation that connects business with disadvantaged education through mentoring and partnership programs.

Our aim is to provide students with the skills and work experience they require to make sound personal, educational and vocational choices. This is achieved through structured programs that involve corporate volunteers mentoring students in the workplace and business partnering with disadvantaged schools.

ABCN was established in 2005 by a group of senior business leaders whose vision was to inspire, challenge and engage businesses to have a greater positive impact in the community. Today we are supported by over 40 member companies and led by an experienced body of CEOs who participate in our programs and support their employees to do the same.

Together we work with a network of public schools across Australia to deliver a range of critical skills, employability and leadership programs that involve business professionals mentoring students. All programs are provided at no cost to the schools or the students.

In 2016 ABCN merged with Schools Connect Australia (SCA) enabling us to broaden our program offering while also increasing our national reach. As a result seven new companies and eight new schools joined our network and SCA’s flagship Business Class program is now delivered as one of ABCN’s core programs.

The ABCN Scholarship Foundation, established in 2013, provides annual mentoring and financial scholarships to exceptional students who are facing economic, family or social challenges. The Foundation has awarded 270 scholarships across Australia since its inception.

In 2018, ABCN won a Global Best Award for Entrepreneurs Unearthed, a program designed to cultivate entrepreneurship skills among high school students. This is the 11th Global BEst award ABCN has received for our programs.

ABCN is supported by Business in the Community and is a member of the CSR 360 Global Network – a network of not-for-profits working with business to make a positive impact in society.