Workforce Diversity Strategy

The Workforce Diversity Strategy (WDS) was launched at the University Of Western Australia in 2001 by the Hon Mark McGowan as the Premier of WA’s representative. The then Vice-Chancellor, Professor Deryck Schreuder, attested to the benefits of enhancing diversity within both the staff and student profile at UWA.

The University is committed to developing strategies that will not only maximize opportunities for all Western Australians to actively participate in employment, but also enhance service delivery to an increasingly diverse student population. The WDS has identified as a priority enhancing the workforce representation and distribution of:

• Indigenous Australians
• People with Disabilities
• People from Culturally and Linguistically Diversity Backgrounds

The WDS has involved the establishment of a Diversity Job Bank comprising a network of employment service providers in the identified priority areas that assist with filling positions advertised through the Strategy.

A Workforce Diversity – Policy and Procedures guide has been produced with a view to explaining the process involved in selecting staff from the Diversity Job Bank. The guide scopes the respective roles of Equity and Diversity and Managers and answers frequently asked questions.

The WDS has achieved significant outcomes to date and has employed over 150 staff across the University since it’s inception in 2001. Employees recruited through the Strategy unanimously endorsed the continuation and expansion of the WDS and revealed high levels of satisfaction with management, colleagues and the UWA environment (see staff feedback).

In recognition of these achievements, the University won the prestigious national accolade of the Prime Minister’s Award for the Employment of People with Disabilities for two successive years (Commonwealth Department of Family and Community Services).

See also the article in the April 2008 issue of UWA News entitled "Sharing skills leads to career path" by Lindy Brophy, highlighting one of the achivements of the workforce diversity strategy at UWA. See a picture of Greg Madson and Suzie Westwood below, who are both legally blind, hard at work contributing to staff environment at UWA, courtesy of Lindy Brophy from the Official Publications unit at UWA.

In pictures: Suzi Westwood (left) learns valuable skills from Greg Madson (right), while Pollock (centre) keeps an eye on them both.

A comprehensive evaluation of the WDS was undertaken in late 2003 involving both employers and staff recruited through the initiative. Respondents were generally supportive and provided constructive feedback with respect to both strengths and weaknesses of the initiative. The report recommends the continuation of the Strategy in its current format with a range of mechanisms designed to enhance current processes.