A
D11/0534765
LITERATURE REVIEW
GOOD PRACTICES MENTORING
FOR ABORIGINAL PEOPLE IN WESTERN AUSTRALIA
Table of Contents
1. Introduction 1
1.1 Background 1
1.2 Methodology 1
1.3 Review Outline 1
2. Definitions of Mentoring 1
3. Elements of a MENTORING program 1
3.1 National Benchmarks 1
3.2 Youth mentoring benchmarks 1
3.3 Common elements 1
4. literature review 1
4.1 Aboriginal Mentoring in Saskatoon, Canada 1
4.2 Indigenous employment in the minerals industry, Australia 1
4.3 Survey of Aboriginal former employees and trainees of Argyle Diamond Mine, Western Australia 1
4.4 Engaging Aboriginal Australians in the Private Sector: A Consultative Report into Aboriginal Employment Strategies and Initiatives 1
4.5 Good practice in mentoring of Indigenous employees in the mining industry, Australia 1
5. aboriginal mentoring training programs 1
5.1 Aboriginal workplace mentoring training programs 1
5.2 Post Program Evaluation of Jobs Australia’s Indigenous Mentoring Skills Program, circa 2008 1
6. aboriginal mentoring programS: case studies 1
6.1 Law Society of WA’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Student Mentoring Program 2011 1
6.2 Victoria Legal Aid Summer and Articled Clerkship Program for Indigenous Law Students 1
6.3 Queensland Government Community Services Skilling Plan’s Indigenous Mentoring Program (IMP) 1
6.4 Newmont Mining Company 1
6.5 Ganyan Aboriginal Business Mentoring Program, Koori Business Network (KBN), Victoria 1
7. proposed model 1
7.1 Model description 1
7.2 Implementation of the model within an organisation 1
8. Conclusion 1
9. References 1
Appendix A: Matching mentees and mentors 1
Appendix B: Setting Realistic Goals and Strategies 1
Introduction
1 Background
In March 2010 the Training together-working together (TTWT) Aboriginal Workforce Development Strategy was released identifying mentoring as the critical element in helping Aboriginal individuals to make successful transitions to sustained employment in Western Australia. The strategy requires action by a number of departments.
Shelby Consulting was contracted to undertake a literature search and review of Aboriginal mentoring in the workplace, internationally and nationally, identifying and describing key elements of ‘good practice’. Different mentoring models were to be identified, analysed and compared, and case studies chosen to illustrate the key elements of ‘good practice’ as identified through the literature review.
2 Methodology
A search of the literature on Aboriginal mentoring in the workplace both in Australia and internationally was undertaken using online academic databases and search engines to find all relevant journal articles and published evaluation reports. The literature identified key features of ‘good practice’ Aboriginal mentoring in general, however it provided little in the way of detailed descriptions of existing Aboriginal mentoring programs.
The methodology was therefore broadened to include telephone consultation with staff in non-government agencies and industry involved in the delivery of Aboriginal mentoring training and Aboriginal mentoring programs as indicated in the literature. This yielded some ‘grey’ literature, however in most cases it provided only verbal information as no documentation was available. Where sufficient information was obtained about actual Aboriginal mentoring programs, they were presented as Case Studies.
3 Review Outline
Section 2 addresses the question of how to define mentoring for the purposes of this literature review. Section 3 examines the elements of a mentoring program generally, and outlines and compares Mentoring Australia’s National Benchmarks with those of the Youth Mentoring Network. A review of the available published literature on workplace Indigenous mentoring, in Australia and internationally, is presented in Section 4. This section also contains the findings and recommendations from research on Aboriginal employment in the mining industry as they deal with a number of issues that are relevant to workplace mentoring for Aboriginal people in regional and remote Western Australia. In Section 5 some of the major workplace Aboriginal mentoring training programs that have been identified are briefly described, and a summary of the findings of the only identified evaluation of an Aboriginal workforce mentoring training program in Australia is provided. The few examples of actual Aboriginal mentoring programs in the workplace are described in Section 6. Section 7 presents a proposed model for Aboriginal mentoring programs in the workforce.
Definitions of Mentoring
The literature review identified a number of published articles which provided definitions of mentoring. This literature will be discussed in more detail in Section 4, however first they will be used to address the question of how to appropriately define mentoring in the context of Aboriginal mentoring in the workplace.
Mentoring can and has been defined in various ways, very generally and more specifically for particular target groups. McCluskey, Noller, Lamoureux, and McCluskey (2004, cited by Sinclair and Pooyak 2007:10) identify two types of mentoring relationships: formal and informal. Formal mentoring is carried out through a mentoring program, and is planned and systematic, with the mentor and mentoree being actively recruited to participate. The mentor is trained to provide career or educational support and guidance to the mentoree that will assist them in being successful in their endeavours (Sinclair and Pooyak 2007).
Canadian researchers Sinclair and Pooyak (2007:45), for the purpose of their study on Aboriginal Mentoring in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, define it as “a strategy for education, guidance, and skills development”.
Tiplady and Barclay (circa. 2007:45) writing in the context of assisting mining companies to achieve better Indigenous employment outcomes, define mentoring as “the process by which an employee receives support and guidance from an experienced colleague”. They go on to write:
“Mentoring is a one-on-one relationship, where the mentor variously takes on the roles of teacher, friend or parent. The mentoring relationship is based on developing trust and providing practical assistance and encouragement. It operates on three different levels:
• pastoral mentoring
• cultural mentoring
• technical mentoring”.
(King, 2005, cited by Tiplady and Barclay, circa. 2007:45)
Taufatofua and Brereton, again writing in the context of the mining industry, explain that while the broad definition of ‘mentoring’ used by state and federal government departments is usually along the lines of “a mutually beneficial relationship which involves a more experienced person helping a less experienced person to achieve their goals,” the term ‘helping’:
“… can be quite ambiguous … and can involve a range of services, from limited unstructured support through to considerable support with highly developed programs and systems of implementation”. (2010:5)
This literature review is concerned with the latter end of this continuum, in particular mentoring in the workplace. Taufatofua and Brereton (2010:5) go on to state:
“Usually undertaken on a one-to-one basis, sound mentoring can foster growth and support the development of a person towards their fullest potential. Sound Indigenous mentoring can hence offer a human resource development tool to engage and integrate employees in the workplace whilst also providing support to enable the employee to better manage some challenging non-work commitments and issues”.
Upon review of the various definitions of mentoring above, the following definition is proposed as appropriate to the needs of the DTWD in their endeavours.
Workplace mentoring is a one-on-one structured relationship, in which an employee receives support and guidance from an experienced colleague to assist them develop their skills and better manage the challenges of their work and non-work commitments and issues. The relationship is based on trust and supported by the organisation with processes, training, and resources. Sound Aboriginal mentoring in the workplace assists Aboriginal employees to engage with, and not feel alienated by, the workplace.
Elements of a MENTORING program
1 National Benchmarks
The national association for mentors and mentoring programs, Mentoring Australia, established a set of Benchmarks for Effective and Responsible Mentoring Programs in 2000. These were a set of principles aimed at guiding the development, management and funding of quality mentoring programs in Australia.
They state that:
“…a responsible mentoring program requires:
• a well-defined mission statement and established operating principles
• regular, consistent contact between mentor and mentee
• establishment under the auspices of a recognised organisation
• paid or volunteer staff with appropriate skills
• written role statements for all staff and volunteer positions
• adherence to Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) requirements
• inclusiveness in relation to ethnicity, culture, socio-economic background, gender and sexuality as appropriate to the program
• adequate ongoing financial and in-kind resources
• written administrative and program procedures
• documented criteria which define eligibility for participation in the program
• program evaluation and ongoing assessment
• a program plan that has input from stakeholders
• risk management and confidentiality policies
• use of generally accepted accounting practices
• a rationale for staffing arrangements based on the needs of all parties”.
(Mentoring Australia, 2007)
2 Youth mentoring benchmarks
The Youth Mentoring Network also set up national benchmarks specifically for youth mentoring in 2007 (YNM, 2007). These address the following:
• program design and planning
• program evaluation
• organisational governance and management, and
• program operations.
The last point includes recruitment, selection and screening, training and development, creating a match, monitoring and supporting the match, and closing the match.[1]
3 Common elements
A comparison of the national and youth mentoring benchmark identified a number of common elements that a formal mentoring program requires. These have been categorised into four areas.
Planning
• A clear mission statement and a statement of purpose which incorporates the values and principles underpinning the program.
• A proposal that outlines the operating principles of the program, the eligibility criteria for mentors and mentorees, and the type of mentoring the program will offer.
• Clear program parameters developed in consultation with relevant stakeholders, program management guidelines, and the appointment of a skilled paid coordinator.
• A financial plan including a dedicated budget for evaluation.
Structure
• Administrative and management strategies, polices and procedures that address recruitment, staff development and training, operational management (legal, accounting etc), ethics, and ongoing support, supervision, and monitoring of mentoring relationships.
Implementation
• A public relations/communications plan which includes a marketing plan.
Monitoring and evaluation
• Ongoing evaluation that includes an assessment of the effectiveness of the program, the distribution of those findings, and the implementation of the ensuing recommendations.
literature review
As mentioned above, there is very little published literature which specifically addresses Good Practice in Aboriginal mentoring in the workplace. This section provides a summary of the findings and recommendations from the existing published research, focussing on the key elements of Indigenous mentoring programs in the workplace.
1 Aboriginal Mentoring in Saskatoon, Canada
Sinclair and Pooyak (2007) conducted research on Aboriginal Mentoring in Saskatoon, for the Indigenous Peoples’ Health Research Centre in collaboration with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Saskatoon and the Community University Institute for Social Research. One of their major findings was how important it is that the Aboriginal community is included all the way from the design and inception, to the development of service delivery.
In summarising their findings, the authors emphasised the importance for non-Aboriginal people developing mentoring programs to understand the cultural background and history of the Aboriginal population they are working with:
“… the literature highlights the differences between Western and Aboriginal mentoring, with the West’s ideology of mentoring focusing on the success of the individual and Aboriginal people’s focus on the relational and communitarian. These differing perspectives play out in mentoring practices and priorities but do not present insurmountable obstacles”. (Sinclair and Pooyak 2007:19)
They believe a successful mentoring relationship “relies on meeting the needs of the individual” while “addressing the challenge of bridging worldview perspectives” developing the approach to Aboriginal mentoring (Sinclair and Pooyak 2007:19).
Based on their research, Sinclair and Pooyak (2007:5) made the following recommendations:
• “Partner with an existing Aboriginal program allowing for Aboriginal community to have input into, and influence on the mentoring program.
• Create a mentoring culture that is culturally appropriate and allows for informal mentoring to occur.
• Mentoring training should include cultural awareness, and Elders should be involved to provide guidance and support.
• The mentoring relationship needs time for trust to be developed; mentors need to have a non-judgmental attitude.
• Reframe the language used when describing mentoring so as to be culturally relevant; consult the Aboriginal community for recommendations on this.
• To avoid duplication of program development and save resources, develop partnerships with other mentoring programs in the same field and/or community.
• Research and consultation on Aboriginal mentoring should be done in collaboration with the Aboriginal community.”
2 Indigenous employment in the minerals industry, Australia
Tiplady and Barclay (circa. 2007) conducted research on Indigenous employment in the minerals industry, with the objectives of informing the industry of key trends and issues, developing a ‘toolkit’ to assist in improving employment outcomes, and developing a framework for evaluating and comparing outcomes.[2] They identified organisational commitment as critical to success in achieving improvements in Indigenous employment in the industry, characterised by:
• “an executive leadership team that has publicly committed to improving Indigenous employment outcomes and backs this commitment by providing adequate financial and human resources
• a commitment to the development of honest and transparent relationships with Indigenous communities
• corporate champions who ‘go the extra mile’ in supporting Indigenous employees and who have influence with the operation’s management team to ensure that Indigenous employment issues remain on the corporate agenda
• suitably qualified, skilled, informed and committed personnel in training and liaison positions, who are respected by the local Indigenous community.” (circa. 2007:3)
Among Tiplady and Barclay’s (circa. 2007) key findings were that a partnership model is best, as community engagement and cooperation are essential to improving recruitment and retention rates. They also recommended partnering with government and non-government organisations to improve education, health and social capacity more generally in the communities with which they are engaging. They conclude that there are many examples of ‘good practice’ recruitment strategies, the most important of them being:
• “recruitment centre workshops to assess the potential of new recruits
• the development of specific work readiness programs to aid in the transition from community life to mainstream work
• mentoring support and cultural awareness training to support new recruits”.
In addition, they identify the following ‘good practice’ retention strategies:
• “ongoing mentoring programs
• family support
• flexible work rosters
• career development
• addressing racism in the workforce”. (Tiplady and Barclay circa. 2007:65)
3 Survey of Aboriginal former employees and trainees of Argyle Diamond Mine, Western Australia
Also in 2007, a study was conducted by Sarker and Bobongie of local Aboriginal people who were former employees, apprentices or trainees with Argyle Diamond Mine in the Kimberley region of Western Australia.[3] The objective of the research was to find out what they were doing at the time of this study, why they had resigned or ‘abandoned’ their positions within three years, and based on the findings make recommendations on workplace retention strategies. Sixty-six people who met the criteria participated (73% male), taking part in a structured survey.
Three quarters of the sample were in regular employment when surveyed, and 80 percent thought the skills and experience they had acquired while with Argyle had assisted them in finding other work. The main reasons for male workers leaving were family reasons, high cost of commuting, managers’ and other employees’ lack of cultural awareness, and feeling a lack of career development prospects. Female participants named the roster structure, family reasons, poor communication and discrimination as their main reasons for leaving Argyle. (Sarker and Bobongie, 2007)
Based on the findings of the survey, Sarker and Bobongie (2007) made a number of recommendations on what measures should be taken to increase Argyle’s retention of Indigenous employees. These included:
1. Addressing the issues of the high cost of travel at their own expense for some employees living in communities;
2. Considering ways of implementing more ‘family friendly’ working arrangements, (e.g. shorter rosters, allowing leave for employees with family problems to address, allowing and providing for family visits during school holidays);
3. Having supervisors and managers undertake training in cross-cultural communication skills; and
4. Improving career development and planning support, including providing effective mentoring. (Sarker and Bobongie, 2007)
4 Engaging Aboriginal Australians in the Private Sector: A Consultative Report into Aboriginal Employment Strategies and Initiatives
The National Australia Bank, in collaboration with the Diversity Council Australia, commissioned research aimed at identifying how employers in the private sector might better engage Aboriginal people, with a view to improving employment outcomes for Aboriginal people throughout Australia.
Representative national consultations, and focus groups and face to face interviews were conducted with Aboriginal people, during which they were asked about their experiences of employment in the private sector, their attitudes about working in the private sector, and what they thought employers could do to improve employment outcomes for Aboriginal people in the private sector. (Constable, 2009)
The findings were that improvements could be made in a number of areas, including:
• developing, resourcing and implementing different types of mentoring schemes,
• preventing and managing racism in the workplace, including by providing cultural awareness,
• providing career development and progression opportunities, and
• creating workplace flexibility was understood and practised.
Constable (2009:46-47) made the following recommendations with respect to professional and cultural mentoring, and the buddy system respectively:
• Employers implement formal professional mentoring schemes that are adequately resourced, including ensuring participants are provided with culturally responsive training on effective mentoring.
• Employers implement formal cultural mentoring schemes in partnership with Aboriginal organisations.
• Employers establish a buddy system for all new Aboriginal employees to support initial social integration into the workplace.
With respect to addressing racism in the workplace, Constable (2009:46-47) recommended:
• Employers conduct confidential employee attitude surveys to monitor levels of harassment, discrimination and exclusionary workplace behaviours.
• Employers conduct regular harassment and discrimination workplace training to educate all managers and employees about their rights and responsibilities in relation to racism at work.
• Employers consider linking managers’ remuneration to their ability to provide a harassment- and discrimination-free work environment for all staff.
Constable (2009:54) points out that while there is considerable discussion about the benefits of mentoring for Aboriginal people in the workforce, “there is little research available on what are the characteristics of successful professional mentoring programs for Aboriginal people”. She recommends that research be conducted to identify examples of ‘good practice’ Indigenous mentoring and examples of how it benefits Aboriginal people.
“This is particularly pertinent given concerns expressed by many participants [in this study] about the inadequacy of mentoring approaches in many organisations” (Constable, 2009:54).
5 Good practice in mentoring of Indigenous employees in the mining industry, Australia
Taufatofua and Brereton (2010) undertook a brief overview of Indigenous mentoring programs in the minerals extraction industry, and of Indigenous mentoring training programs across Australia.[4] They focussed on ‘good practice’ in mentor training and mentoring programs aimed at encouraging recruitment and retention of Indigenous people. Before reporting their findings, the authors provided a brief summary of the issues related to mentoring of Indigenous employees, as identified in the literature.
Some of the literature points to the exasperation experienced as a result of training for training’s sake (Fordham & Schwab, 2007 cited by Taufatofua and Brereton, 2010). Young, Guenther and Boyle (2007 cited by Taufatofua and Brereton, 2010) note that the relatively high participation rates of desert Aboriginal people involved in vocational education and training has not resulted in jobs, with labour force participation rates for this group having declined substantially across remote areas of Australia since 2002. Industry has also been critical of government programs that focus on generic training and offer insufficient industry specific training (Vidler, 2007 cited by Taufatofua and Brereton, 2010). (Taufatofua and Brereton, 2010:4)
Taufatofua and Brereton (2010:4) state that while mentoring programs are in place in many working environments in a variety of ways, they have these common characteristics:
• largely informally run and on a voluntary basis
• often provided by people who are not trained nor formally qualified for these roles
• often implemented without supporting company resources to enable sound outputs.
The authors also point out that given the diversity within the Indigenous population there needs to be diverse forms of mentoring to address the needs of different people in different roles and with different background. There needs to be flexibility when developing mentoring programs. (Taufatofua and Brereton, 2010)
Taufatofua and Brereton examined twelve programs – five being some kind of Indigenous mentoring initiatives in the workplace, the remaining seven delivering Indigenous mentoring training for the workforce. Table 1 shows the programs considered, and their stages of development and implementation, categorised as – organisational changes, mentor training and/or mentoring. No specific definition of ‘organisational changes’ was provided, however it was applied only to the four mining company programs examined in the study. The authors’ description of the programs illustrates the range of what might be considered ‘organisational change’:
• ‘a formal mentoring program’, including a ‘learning and development department’, linking with an Aboriginal organisation to deliver ‘cultural training’ to employees, and the provision of Indigenous counsellors and psychologists to employees with issues such as ‘intergenerational trauma’;
• ‘a formal process’ for trainee and apprentices;
• ‘an Indigenous employee programme’ to ‘nurture’ employees; and
• ‘an informal mentoring system’.
(Taufatofua and Brereton, 2010:8-10)
Table 1: Stages of the Twelve Program Examined by Taufatofua and Brereton (2010)
| |Organisational Changes |Mentor Training |Mentoring |Evaluated |
|Newmont Mining Company |( |( |( | |
|Rio Tinto Argyle Diamonds |( | |( | |
|Rio Tinto Aluminium Weipa |( | |( | |
|Rio Tinto Coal Australia |( | |( | |
|Skills DMC Indigenous Mentoring Project – National Mentoring Project | |( | | |
|Great Southern Institute of Technology (WA) | |( | |( |
|Indigenous Success Australia (ISA) (IES) | | |( | |
|Building Indigenous Capability Pty Ltd (BIC) | |( | | |
|Aboriginal Counselling Services (ACS) | |( | | |
|Australian Indigenous Leadership Centre (AILC) | |( | | |
|Indigenous Small Business Mentoring Project Metro South Institute of TAFE – Mt | |( | | |
|Gravatt Campus | | | | |
|Wal-Meta Moving into management | |( | | |
It is interesting to note that only one of these programs has been evaluated, that being one of the Indigenous mentoring training programs.
Taufatofua and Brereton’s (2010:1) key findings were that:
• “There are considerable efforts underway or in planning across Australia which seek to provide comprehensive mentoring to Indigenous employees/trainees. Each of these programs has highlighted features which are seen by proponents as ‘good’ mentoring practice. One of the main elements that programs consistently identify is the broader need to work not only with mentees themselves but also with the mentee’s family for effective mentoring.
• Indigenous mentoring can be broken into three main components, each of which can influence the effectiveness of the mentoring process:
- Workplace requirements that need to be in place to augment the mentoring process – facilitating planning, structures and mechanisms.
- Key elements required to effectively train and accredit mentors.
- The practical Indigenous mentoring process – key considerations that a mentor needs to address in their mentoring processes with the mentees.”
The authors go on to describe the key elements of these three main components of an Aboriginal mentoring program in the workforce.
Key workplace requirements to encourage successful mentoring
For Aboriginal mentoring to be effective, there have to be measures taken in the workplace which support the needs of the mentoree in order to encourage their retention. The mentoring program must be integrated into workplace planning and strategic development, needs must be acknowledged, and adequate resources must be provided to address them.
Some key measures required when integrating mentoring into planning processes are that the company:
• clearly articulates commitment to the mentoring process;
• provides some flexibility within the workplace in recognition of the heterogeneity of Indigenous people, their challenges and their mentoring needs (e.g. flexible work rostering);
• allocates sufficient resources to support the mentor and mentee;
• provides support mechanisms for the mentor to facilitate their mentoring support, and
• sets realistic goals for mentors and mentees, taking into account Indigenous employees will have varying levels of cultural obligations to meet which need to be accommodated in the workplace. (Taufatofua and Brereton, 2010)
Key elements for effective training of mentors
Taufatofua and Brereton (2010) describe three core areas for consideration in the development of ‘good practice’ mentor training.
Program structure:
• Weighted emphasis on different topics, including a strong emphasis on cultural awareness training for both Indigenous and non-Indigenous trainees.
• Adequate recognition of the historical experiences of the mentors and the proposed mentorees.
Program delivery:
• Integration of experiential learning, using common scenarios for mentors and mentorees to address issues in various contexts.
• Visiting communities to understand local realities.
Evaluation:
• Formal evaluation from immediately following the training program, and again six months after training will indentify any gaps in the program.
Key elements of effective mentoring
Based on both the literature and their discussion with personnel from Indigenous mentoring programs across Australia, Taufatofua and Brereton (2010:19) identified the following four key elements of ‘good practice’ mentoring programs:
• “‘Two way mentoring’ which involves valuing and embedding Indigenous practices into day to day operations when mentoring Indigenous employees and trainees contrasted with one way ‘blaming’ mentoring which prompts resistance from those being mentored and perpetuates Indigenous disadvantage (Taufatofua and Brereton, 2010:19 citing Tanyah Nasir, 2008).”
• Training support, role modelling, attention and concern, accountability and reliability of both parties, and listening skills.
• Working not only with mentees but also their community and family.
• Evaluation, both formal and informal, is necessary in order to make necessary adjustments and assess the level of effectiveness of the program.
(Taufatofua and Brereton, 2010)
aboriginal mentoring training programs
In this section some of the major workplace Aboriginal mentoring training programs that were identified are briefly described, and a summary of the findings of the only identified evaluation of an Aboriginal workforce mentoring training program in Australia is provided.
1 Aboriginal workplace mentoring training programs
Jobs Australia training programs
In their 2009-2010 annual report, the Australian Indigenous Leadership Centre (AILC) reported that they had continued to develop the Certificate IV in Diversity Mentoring (Indigenous) and prepared the course for accreditation. Following consultation with a range of stakeholders they had decided to open the course up to both Indigenous and non-Indigenous participants. They had also developed a three day introductory course in Diversity Mentoring, which was delivered in three states prior to the end of the financial year. (Jobs Australia Foundation Annual Report 2009-2010:9)
The Indigenous training network projects in 2010 included the ITN working in partnership to facilitate Aged Care Coordinators Workshops in the Northern Territory for the Department of Health and Ageing (DoHA). This project provided aged care coordinators who work in Indigenous aged care facilities with mentoring skills to assist them to employ, work with and retain local Aboriginal staff. (Jobs Australia Foundation Annual Report 2009-2010:22)
Building Indigenous Capability Pty Ltd (BIC), NSW
BIC delivers a nationally accredited Indigenous mentor course which was first developed in 2005. It has been delivered to numerous clients across different community and industry sectors since then. BIC has also licensed two other RTOs to deliver this program, being Jobs Australia and Djaringo. BIC also conducts non-accredited courses which require less time away from the workplace. (BIC 2011)
Australian Indigenous Leadership Centre (AILC), ACT
The Australian Indigenous Leadership Centre is a not-for-profit company, owned and controlled by Indigenous Australians located in Canberra. Its aim is to foster Indigenous leadership at all levels. It has the only accredited Indigenous Leadership training in Australia, and has recently branched out to deliver diversity and mentoring training in other jurisdictions; however it does not advertise these courses, with recruitment taking place by word of mouth, or under contract to another agency (e.g. Government of Victoria). (AILC CEO, personal communication)
SkillsDMC /DEEWR/MCA project
The National Industry Skills Council for the resources and infrastructure sectors, the Commonwealth Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations, and the Minerals Council of Australia commenced a an Indigenous mentor training program in 2010. The project’s objectives are to:
• “Provide a comprehensive understanding of Indigenous mentoring training programs across Australia.
• Develop an accredited and comprehensive training package for Indigenous mentoring within the mining industry across Australia to provide recognition to the level of mentoring skills required”. (Taufatofua and Brereton, 2010:1)
2 Post Program Evaluation of Jobs Australia’s Indigenous Mentoring Skills Program, circa 2008
Jobs Australia (Australian Training Network) contracted an independent post program evaluation of its Course in Mentoring Indigenous Trainees 80756ACT (AQF III) through the Mentoring Skills Strategy for Increased Indigenous Apprenticeship Take-up and Completion Project. The five-day course was conducted in 10 locations (cities and regional centres) in five jurisdictions (NSW, Tasmania, NT, Qld and WA) from January 2007 to July 2008.[5] Its primary objective was to provide Indigenous services staff with mentoring skills so as to better enable them to place Indigenous trainees and support them while completing their training and continuing into employment.
Those who participated in the evaluation were workers who completed the program and the organisations who sent their workers to the program. The overall conclusions from the evaluation were:
• “The program reached its target group as to organisations and the workers that participated.
• The program was well marketed and the registration process once simplified worked adequately well. Data management would have been enhanced by the use of a computerised participant learning management system.
• The training course component was highly regarded by organisations and participants.
• The assessment process suffered from extended delays and a lack of adequate management and tracking of participant progress and poor communication processes.
• The impact upon staff knowledge and skills; the attitude and approach taken to Indigenous clients; and on the quality of the relationships between mentee and significant others was high and significant – the program worked by shifting peoples thinking and relationships.
• Consistent reports of improvements in engagement, the outcomes achieved, attendance, and retention of Indigenous people in training and or work indicated that the program had affected practice significantly.
• The large number of organisations that now recognise mentoring as a useful tool to be applied to all clients and as a service they offer (as opposed to something that just happened) was significant with the number of agencies now offering mentoring as a formal service lifting from 45% of responders to 76%.
• The desire to see participating organisations use the training to train other staff and the capacity to offer this as an accredited program was taken up by a significant number of organisations (27%).
• Cultural awareness goals were achieved in more ways than expected. The improvement in how Indigenous workers saw and worked with non-Indigenous workers and with other organisations was unexpected and significant.
• Overall organisations reported more Indigenous clients in placements – many of then Australian Apprenticeships – and more clients staying in these placements.”
(Better Training and Consultancy, 2008:5-6)
aboriginal mentoring programS: case studies
This section reports on the Indigenous mentoring programs in Australia for which some information could be found using a combination of online searches and investigation by telephone. It should be noted that while it was thought that some government agencies (e.g. Australia Post) and private companies (e.g. SERCO) would have Aboriginal mentoring programs, telephone enquiries revealed that they do not.[6] At the same time, some large companies which do have Aboriginal mentoring programs (e.g. Rio Tinto) were contacted; however, after speaking to a number of people, no information or documentation was forthcoming.
1 Law Society of WA’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Student Mentoring Program 2011
The Law Society of Western Australia has called for expressions of interest from practitioners interested in mentoring an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander law student in their final or penultimate year in 2011 at a Western Australian university. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander legal practitioners are particularly encouraged to apply to be mentors. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students are invited to apply to be in the mentoring program via email, sent to all Indigenous law students by the Indigenous Studies school in each relevant university. The program provides one-on-one contact with a legal practitioner with whom they can discuss their law course, options and aspirations for the future. (Law Society of WA, 2011)
Prior to commencement of the mentoring program mentorees are required to attend separate a two-hour training session during which they are informed about the program, and have any questions they might have answered. The mentors also attend a two-hour training session which focuses on the skills they will require to develop a good mentoring relationship. These sessions are run by a Program Facilitator, and also attended by the Executive Manager, Policy and Professional Services. (Law Society of WA, 2011; Andrea Lace, pers. comm., June 2011)
The program was first run in 2004, and this is only the second time the Society has offered a specific Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander mentoring program. The Law Society of WA also offers a mentoring program for Junior Practitioners (i.e. those in the first five years of practicing); however, they had no Indigenous applicants this year. (Andrea Lace, pers. comm., June 2011)
The Society currently has a number of non-Indigenous mentors who were trained previously in cultural awareness and mentoring, and have an interest in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander issues. They also have a number of mentors who are Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander lawyers, and members of the Society’s Aboriginal Lawyers Committee. (Law Society of WA, 2011)
The matching of mentors with mentorees is carried out by the Program Facilitator and the Executive Manager, Policy and Professional Services, who take into consideration the information on the applications, personal knowledge from meeting and working with the participants of the training sessions, a form that participants complete at the end of the training, and their personalities. Once a match has been decided, the mentorees are contacted, informed about the mentor chosen, and asked whether they are happy with the choice that has been made. If they are, the mentor will be contacted, and they will make the first contact with the mentoree (in case they are too shy to initiate the contact). After that it will be the responsibility of the latter to contact the mentor. (Andrea Lace, pers. comm., June 2011)
The program is formal and structured, as the Law Society would not endorse one that was not. The Program Facilitator and the Mentoring Trainer maintain ongoing contact with both the mentor and the mentoree to monitor how it is proceeding and address any issues should they arise. (Andrea Lace, pers. comm., June 2011)
2 Victoria Legal Aid Summer and Articled Clerkship Program for Indigenous Law Students
Victoria Legal Aid has a Summer and Articled Clerkship Program for Indigenous law students, which aims to support Indigenous law students while they complete their studies, and assist them to find employment in the legal sector. It provides an opportunity for Indigenous students to gain work experience and to develop their practical legal skills.
The program began in December 2001, with three students being taken on as Summer Clerks in 2002. This led onto those student being given a position as an Articled Clerk after completing her studies, and then going on to be admitted to practice later in the following year. In January 2003 Victoria Legal Aid established a formal mentoring program, matching clerks with a more experienced legal practitioner, in addition to their being supervised by other legal staff in the organisation.
Victoria Legal Aid defines mentoring as “support and encouragement for a person who is embarking on a legal career in a safe and understanding environment that will provide opportunities for an enhanced understanding of the legal system”. Their aim is provide Indigenous clerks with
“enhanced opportunities in:
• Networking
• Exploring the law
• Adjusting to working in a legal practice
• Personal support and learning
• Developing a positive experience of Victoria Legal Aid.” (VLA, 2004:12)
While the Summer Clerks are mentored over their six-week placement, Victoria Legal Aid encourages contact being maintained between clerks and their mentor after their placement ends and they have returned to their studies. This is to encourage the clerks to return in successive years and potentially become an Articled Clerk with the organisation when they graduate. They receive ongoing mentoring during their Articles year.
All mentors received training on their role and useful strategies, and to ensure successful mentoring relationships are established. There is also a Getting Started Workshop for the clerks to attend. Further networking and support meetings, and training for mentors and clerks, is planned for throughout the year.
3 Queensland Government Community Services Skilling Plan’s Indigenous Mentoring Program (IMP)
The Indigenous Mentoring Program (IMP) is an initiative of the Community Services Skilling Plan (Department of Education and Training Indigenous), and:
“aims to contribute to a capable, contemporary and skilled workforce that supports the needs of the community services sector.” (Govt of Qld, 2011)
The focus of the initiative is on developing and implementing mentoring programs in regional areas which are appropriate for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander workers, volunteers and carers in the community services sector. It uses an ‘Appreciative Mentoring Framework’, has been implemented statewide and is linked to two units of competency from the Community Services Training Package:
• reflect on and improve own professional practice (for mentoree)
• provide mentoring support to colleagues (for mentor)
The Community Services Skilling Plan will launch Phase II of the IMP in 2011, which aims to increase workforce capability by providing previous IMP participant organisations assistance and guidance in managing their own services, and/or community mentoring programs. They indicate that they will be utilising the following IMP documents:
• Walking Together, Learning Together - A Mentoring Guide, and
• Walking Together, Learning Together - Our Stories of Mentoring
4 Newmont Mining Company
Newmont Mining Company’s Aboriginal mentoring program was developed as part of their 2003 Indigenous Employment Strategy, and later Regional Partnership Agreements were put in place. These agreements are established between the company, government agencies and traditional land councils or local shires in order to coordinate the delivery of services. (Calvin Eglinton, pers. comm., April 2011)
Each of the three Australian Newmont mining sites has an Indigenous advisor who is part of the social responsibility team, and works with Indigenous employees, assisting them to address external factors and challenges that they may face (e.g. opening a bank account, getting health insurance etc). The mentor is a bridge between Indigenous staff and service providers, and they also address any social and/or cultural conflicts issues that arise (e.g. taking leave when a family member dies). They offer support to Indigenous staff in adapting to the structured workplace. (Calvin Eglinton, pers. comm., April 2011)
The mentoring program is in its early stages, and there is no formal documentation about it, and no formal structure for implementing it. The mentoring is there to offer support to Indigenous employees when on site but does not extend beyond the site. (Calvin Eglinton, pers. comm., April 2011)
5 Ganyan Aboriginal Business Mentoring Program, Koori Business Network (KBN), Victoria
Small Business Network Victoria has a mentoring service using volunteers who are retired business people, and KBN are working with them to develop a program that is more appropriate for Aboriginal people. It is in development stage and there is no documentation available about it other than that obtained from their website (KBN, ). However it would be useful to follow its progress and process, and source outcome reports as they become available.
proposed model
Based on the literature reviewed, a model for an effective Aboriginal mentoring program for the workplace is proposed. It includes the elements required in the organisation, the mentor/mentoree relationship and monitoring and evaluation.
1 Model description
Organisational Context
Without a supportive organisational environment, mentoring relationships will have difficulty flourishing and a two-way relationship where the organisation learns from its Aboriginal workforce is unlikely to occur. The following conditions are required:
• Organisational commitment at all levels to developing a mentoring culture within the workplace which supports Aboriginal employees and is open to change
• Adequate resources to ensure mentors and mentorees are suitably qualified, skilled, committed and informed, including cultural competency training for mentors
• Facilitation of mentoring by providing the time and an appropriate location for mentors and mentorees to work together
• Working with local Aboriginal communities, creating an environment that facilitates Aboriginal family support, career development, on-going training and flexible work practices for mentorees.
Mentor/Mentoree Relationship
A formal workplace mentoring relationship requires management and administrative structures to define and nurture it. The following are required:
• appropriate matching of mentors and mentorees[7]
• training of mentors and induction of mentorees
• a structured program of communication
• setting realistic goals and strategies to achieve them[8]
Monitoring and Evaluation
Maximising outcomes from investment (organisational and human) requires structured monitoring and evaluation, requiring the organisation to:
• Plan and provide resources for monitoring and evaluating the program, and implementing recommendations designed to improve it.
2 Implementation of the model within an organisation
The implementation of such an Aboriginal workforce mentoring program within an organisation requires four key phases:
1. Planning
2. Program Structure
3. Implementation
4. Measurement
These are briefly defined and presented diagrammatically, then the key objectives and activities for each phase are tabled.
Planning
This phase clearly defines the objectives of the program for the organisation. Key stakeholders must be engaged to ensure buy in at all levels of the organisation. This is crucial to the success of the program.
Program Structure
This is the phase in which the specific details of the program are developed and documented. This ensures that the program contains the elements required to maximise its effectiveness.
Implementation
A structured implementation plan maximises appropriate recruitment.
Measurement
Determining monitoring and evaluation frameworks at the start ensures that appropriate data is captured and that issues during implementation are identified and rectified promptly.
Figure 1: Proposed model of an Aboriginal mentoring program showing key elements and phases of implementation
[pic]
The table below summarises the key stages and their associated objectives and activities, which the DTWD may choose to adopt in the development of their program framework.
|Stage |Objectives |Activities |
|1. Planning |Timeframes – frequency and duration |Identify opportunities & resources |
| |Culture change |Include mission statement |
| |Aboriginal stakeholders |Strategic planning |
| |Measurement |Develop program road map |
| |Mentor choice | |
|2. Program Structure |Choose Training provider |Develop policies and procedures |
| |Detail budget |Analyse relevant programs |
| |Opportunity for family involvement |Tender/procurement |
|3. Implement |Communication |Briefing sessions with family |
| |Timeframes |Workshops with participants |
| | |Launch |
|4. Measurement |Reporting Structures |Develop reporting mechanisms |
| |Compliance issues | |
Conclusion
There is a dearth of literature on Aboriginal mentoring programs for Indigenous people in the workforce in Australia, and the little there is focuses on the mining industry. Only one document describing an Indigenous mentoring program in the workplace outside the mining industry was found. Similarly while a number of Aboriginal mentor training programs were identified, there was little documentation available on them, and only one evaluation was obtained. There is clearly a need for further research in this area, for Aboriginal mentoring and mentor training programs to be evaluated, and for such evaluations to be made publicly available so as to inform others as to what works, and what does not.
Based on the literature and other available sources, a number of key elements required for successful Aboriginal mentoring programs in the workplace have been proposed, including characteristics of the organisational context, the mentoring relationship, and monitoring and evaluation feedback loop. The model includes elements outlined in the Australian benchmarks for mentoring generally as well as for youth mentoring in particular, and those specifically recommended for a ‘good practice’ Aboriginal mentoring program in the workplace. In addition, the components required to develop, implement and assess the effectiveness of such a program in the workplace have been summarised.
References
Andrea Lace, Executive Manager, Policy and Professional Services, Law Society of WA, personal communication, June 2011.
Andrew Donovan, MEEDAC Manager, personal communication, April 2011.
Australian Indigenous Leadership Centre CEO, personal communication, May 2011.
Building Indigenous Capability Pty Ltd (BIC) .au/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=66&Itemid=55
Better Training and Consultancy Pty Ltd Post Program Evaluation of Indigenous Mentoring Skills Program: Course in Mentoring Indigenous Trainees 80756 January 2007 to July 2008, for Jobs Australia Australian Training Network, circa 2008.
Calvin Eglinton Regional Manager Community Development, Newmont Mining Company, personal communication, April 2011.
Constable, Janis Engaging Aboriginal Australians in the Private Sector: A Consultative Report into Aboriginal Employment Strategies and Initiatives, NAB-DCA Research Project Final Report, July 2009.
Department of Training and Workforce Development, Request for Quotation Form – SDS 1/2011: Mentoring: Project 1 - Best practice mentoring for Aboriginal people in Western Australia - literature review, February 2011.
Elaine Rabbit, Djaringo Training Manager, personal communication, April 2011.
Ganyan Aboriginal Business Mentoring Program, Koori Business Network (KBN), business..au
Jobs Australia Foundation Annual Report 2009-2010 .au
Law Society of WA, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Student Mentoring Program 2011,
National Mentoring Association of Australia, Benchmark benchmark.htm 07/04/2011
Queensland Government Department of Education and Training, Community Services Skilling Plan, Indigenous Mentoring Program (IMP) indigenous-mentoring
Sarker, Tapan and Bobongie, Grant Survey of Aboriginal Former Employees and Trainees of Argyle Diamond Mine, Centre for Social Responsibility in Mining, University of Queensland, October 2007.
Sinclair, Raven and Pooyak, Sherri Aboriginal Mentoring in Saskatoon: A cultural perspective, Indigenous Peoples’ Health Research Centre and Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Saskatoon, 2007.
Taufatofua, Rosemary and Brereton, David Good Practice in Mentoring of Indigenous Employees, Centre for Social Responsibility in Mining, University of Queensland, July 2010.
Tiplady, Tony and Barclay, Mary Anne Indigenous Employment: In the Australian Minerals Industry, Centre for Social Responsibility in Mining, University of Queensland, circa. 2007.
Victoria Legal Aid A Fair Go for Indigenous People Good Ideas for Managing People, nd.
Youth Mentoring Network National Youth Mentoring Benchmarks: Fostering the growth and development of high quality youth mentoring, 2007, .au.
Appendix A: Matching mentees and mentors
The success or failure of mentoring is closely tied to how well the mentor and mentoree are matched. To appropriately match mentorees and mentors several issues need to be considered. The utilisation of some simple tools and documents will facilitate these decisions.
Firstly, make sure you have specified criteria outlined for both the roles of the mentor and mentoree, and make sure the mentors and mentees are selected based on these criteria, which should include the mentors’ skills and qualifications.
Secondly, make sure that you have a way to accurately assess the expertise of potential mentors and the needs of the mentorees, as this will lead to a good matching or appropriate pairing. This can be done through a variety of methods, such as:
• all mentorees and mentors complete a comprehensive questionnaire regarding their skills, needs and desired program outcomes
• program management staff select several confidential profiles of potentially compatible mentorees for the mentor to read, so the mentor can then choose the mentoree with whom they feel best matched
• program management staff work together with those who know the mentorees’ needs best - such as parents and work colleagues - to make the most suitable match
• program management staff take full responsibility for assigning mentors and mentorees
• mentors and mentorees interact in group activities, and have the opportunity to ‘self-match’
• for programs in which the parent of the mentoree plays a role in the match, facilitate a meeting between the mentor and the mentee's parent prior to the match being finalised; following the meeting, they independently communicate to the program management staff whether they are comfortable with the match.
Finally, it is universally held that a mentor should not be the direct work supervisor of the mentoree, or be in the same department if that is possible. If the personality types are tremendously different, there may be problems with the relationship. In addition, the relationship needs to be ‘two-way’, with both the mentor and the mentoree benefiting from the process. This relationship can stretch over months or even years. The use of a written Mentoring Agreement signed by both parties, which clearly outlines expectations for specific times, is vital to the success of a mentoring program.
Appendix B: Setting Realistic Goals and Strategies
It would be expected that an accredited mentor training program would cover goal-setting in the mentoring process in detail. Realistic goals are those that are attainable so as not to overwhelm the mentoree and/or make them feel demoralised if not achieved. The mentor needs to be fully aware of mentorees qualifications, skills and other abilities (e.g. how well they communication). The development of goals might follow the following SMART steps:
[pic]
Once again, it would be expected that an accredited mentor training program would cover the development of strategies to attain the realistic goals the mentor and mentoree have agreed upon. It is important to monitor progress, review the goals periodically, and modify them as seen necessary during the on-going mentoring relationship.[pic]
-----------------------
[1] This is a very brief summary of these benchmarks as they are seven pages long.
[2] A collaborative research project between The Centre for Social Responsibility in Mining (CSRM) at the University of Queensland and Rio Tinto, with the assistance of a number of other companies (BHP Billiton, Newmont Australia, Zinifex, Roche Mining and Ngarda Construction and Mining).
[3] A joint initiative of Argyle Diamond’s Community Relations and Work Readiness (CRWR) Department, and the Centre for Social Responsibility in Mining, University of Queensland.
[4] North West Queensland Indigenous Resource Industry Initiative (NWQIRII), a partnership between the Queensland Resources Council (QRC) and the State and Federal Governments.
[5] A total of 263 participants from 164 organisations completed the training.
[6] Shelby Consulting was informed that Australia Post has an Aboriginal Employment Program, but not an Aboriginal mentoring program.
[7] See Appendix A for more detail.
[8] See Appendix B for more detail.
-----------------------
Organisation
Mentor
Skills
Knowledge
Mentoree
Skills development
B. DEFINE & C. IMPLEMENT relationship
o Selection
o Training & development
o Structured communication
o Management
o Supportive climate
o Training
o Operational resources
o Working with Ab communities
A. PLAN
D. MONITORING AND EVALUATION
Monitoring & evaluation
Aboriginal Mentoring Model
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