1. Professor Santina Bertone
WHY PROMOTE CULTURAL DIVERSITY IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT? - BUSTING MYTHS AND STEREOTYPES
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2. WHY PROMOTE CULTURAL DIVERSITY IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT?
Skilled immigrants fuel the economy and fill skill gaps yet under-employment and invisibility at the top continue
Need to understand the socio-cultural factors behind this
link to the broader national agenda and legislation 2

3. WHY PROMOTE CULTURAL DIVERSITY IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT?
WHY CULTURAL DIVERSITY ISN’T A PRIORITY - BUSTING MYTHS AND STEREOTYPES THAT HOLD US BACK
WHY PROMOTE CULTURAL DIVERSITY IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT?
No legal requirement for workplaces to collect data on their cultural diversity
Hence, it is not clear how culturally diverse different sectors are
Depends on one-off investigations of ABS data e.g.
Census or EEO surveys
The myth that if it’s not broke, why fix it? – perpetuates the problem
We are so busy applauding the value of immigration, we neglect workforce integration
FECCA and the Diversity Council of Australia recognise these issues
Worked together with DIAC on a harmony in the workplace project 3

4. WHY PROMOTE CULTURAL DIVERSITY IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT
WHY PROMOTE CULTURAL DIVERSITY IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT? Research conducted into ABS 2006 census (Ian Potter funded) .under-representation of CALD (first generation) people in Victorian local government .only half the proportion that were expected based on general workforce data .this was mirrored in other states and territories (except ACT) .focus group discussions within two councils .interviews with managers .exploratory findings – cultural diversity not an EEO priority, fragmented interventions
The data

5. WHY PROMOTE CULTURAL DIVERSITY IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT?
The issues
Without adequate cultural diversity, local government loses:
.skills
.international experience
.inclusivity
.legitimacy
.relevance
.service to communities
.workforce growth
.innovation

6. WHY PROMOTE CULTURAL DIVERSITY IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT?
WHY CULTURAL DIVERSITY ISN’T A PRIORITY - BUSTING MYTHS AND STEREOTYPES THAT HOLD US BACK
WHY PROMOTE CULTURAL DIVERSITY IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT?
Skilled immigrants are proficient in English
Comfortable working in a professional context but Australian cultural norms and expectations pose challenges
Intolerance to deviations from the mainstream by those in power
Fact Sheet 7 Myths and Misperceptions about Cultural Diversity sought to address these issues head on
Very positive response by stakeholders e.g. HREOC, Cricket Australia, Ernst & Young, Darebin Council, Performance Education, Diversity Council of Australia 6

7. 23 myths presented and debunked by the fact sheet
WHY CULTURAL DIVERSITY ISN’T A PRIORITY - BUSTING MYTHS AND STEREOTYPES THAT HOLD US BACK
23 myths presented and debunked by the fact sheet
Some are presented here:
Aussies don’t have culture
Most migrants have English language problems
Qualifications gained overseas are generally inferior
Overseas experience is not relevant in Australia
The majority of migrants are unskilled
We need to fix the gender problem first
We’re all multicultural so we can’t be racist
All selection decisions are based on merit
Collecting date on employees’ birthplaces and heritage is too difficult 7

8. WHY PROMOTE CULTURL DIVERSITY IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT?
WHY CULTURAL DIVERSITY ISN’T A PRIORITY - BUSTING MYTHS AND STEREOTYPES THAT HOLD US BACK
WHY PROMOTE CULTURL DIVERSITY IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT?
until we address these deep-seated attitudes, change will stall
workplaces need to be able to talk about cultural diversity currently, many don’t even have the language to discuss it
fear of talking about cultural difference
yet colour-blind or culturally-blind policies don’t work
this requires leadership by example 8

9. WHY PROMOTE CULTURAL DIVERSITY IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT?
WHY CULTURAL DIVERSITY ISN’T A PRIORITY - BUSTING MYTHS AND STEREOTYPES THAT HOLD US BACK
WHY PROMOTE CULTURAL DIVERSITY IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT?
Pilot study by Diversity Council of Australia (2012) shows low cultural diversity at the top of big companies
A similar story in the public sector/local government
Australian Multicultural Council forum in March recently resolved to recommend that government make data collection in workplaces compulsory
2011 census data being obtained for analysis
if we can’t measure it, we can’t see or prove the problems
invisibility will lead to lost opportunities
Future local government needs to build in strategies to include CALD people. 9

10. WHY PROMOTE CULTURAL DIVERSITY IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT?
Some strategies to consider:
Advertise through ethnic media (SBS, newspapers)
Develop user friendly guides to recruitment process
Streamline selection process eg KSCs
Use buddies or mentors
Recruit in batches
Set up CALD committees

11. WHY PROMOTE CULTURAL DIVERSITY IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT?
For further information on this presentation contact the Professor Santina Bertone on
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