Kaleidoscope mentoring program is connecting migrants to our culturally-diverse workplaces

Australia, together with New Zealand, Canada and United States of America, are considered to be one of the world’s major ‘immigration nations’. Newcomers bring talent, innovation and international expertise to Australia, but they need information and networks to guide them in obtaining employment in their own field or professional careers.
A study conducted by the Commonwealth’s Department of Social Services looked at the Longitudinal Study of Humanitarian Migrants through their journey of Building a New Life in Australia (BNLA). They found that it was difficult for migrants to obtain employment in line with their skills and qualifications when they moved to Australia. 21.3% of participants of the study had a professional occupation before their arrival in Australia which decreased to 3.5% after 6 months of their arrival. Hence it is extremely beneficial for migrants and refugees to connect with a mentor who is from their industry or occupation to help them navigate the Australian way.
The Kaleidoscope Mentoring Program aims to help highly-skilled, professional migrants and refugees to improve their employment potential by connecting them with mentors from their industry or occupation. Mentors help guide newcomers on a pathway to find employment within their industry. This is beneficial for the migrants and the employers as it encourages sharing of new ideas and boosting business development and cultural diversity in workplace and community.
Mentors work with their mentees over approximately 3 months to build an understanding of Australian workplace culture, recruitment practices and occupational-specific professional networks to assist them to achieve their career goals. The face-to-face meetings, online interaction, job shadowing and networking at events are some of the ways this program ensures that newcomers can be reconnected with their careers.
For more information on the Kaleidoscope mentoring program, or to sign up as a Mentor or Mentee before the end of November, please visit the website.