Sponsors

In the last decade, Australia Post has transformed its image, corporate culture and operations to emerge as one of Australia's most successful businesses. As well as providing a full range of letter and parcel services to all parts of the nation, Post's retail network serves over one million customers every day. Post is also increasing its business solution offering to include Internet fulfilment services, express delivery services, warehousing and logistics.
And to fulfil all of these functions, Australia Post relies on an extraordinarily dedicated and diverse workforce. Post is proud to reflect Australian society and to support the 2008 Diversity@Work Awards.

Better health and active ageing for all Australians is the vision that drives the work of the Department of Health and Ageing.

The ageing of the population makes health a key economic priority for Australia. Without good health, people are less able to actively participate in all aspects of community life including paid or volunteer work.

The extent to which good health and active ageing for older people is promoted is a key influence on how successfully Australia manages the challenges and opportunities population ageing brings.

Older people already make a significant contribution to the economy. Even so, governments, employers and individuals must continue to work together to increase the proportion of working age people in the workforce - and to encourage participation by increasing numbers of older people.

Research in Australia and overseas shows that mature workers combine experience, a strong work ethic, commitment to quality of work and to their employing organisation and low absenteeism. Employers who are thinking ahead of the game know that mature workers are too valuable an asset to overlook, especially as the supply of younger workers decreases.

This is why the Department of Health and Ageing is proud to sponsor the Employment and Inclusion of Mature Age Workers Award which aims to remove the barriers to the continued participation of mature age workers in the workforce.

VU believes that a great education needs new ways of thinking in order to stay competitive in the real world.

Victoria University (VU) was established as a University in 1990, but its history dates back to 1916 when it opened as the Footscray Institute of Technology. It is now one of eight Australian universities to combine higher education, and vocational and further education. Three higher education faculties and two vocational education faculties offer more than 700 courses, ranging from certificates to doctorates.

VU has 3500 staff and more than 44,000 students, including about 3000 international students at 11 campuses in Melbourne's CBD and western region. Partner institutes deliver VU programs in Asia to a further 6500 students.

The University's research is noted for advancing knowledge with practical outcomes, and for its innovation in environmental issues, sports and health.

The University's vision, Making VU a New School of Thought, aims for it students to:

• do at least 25 per cent of their assessment through learning in the workplace and/or in the community
• be able to customise their learning experience
• be involved in study programs that are informed by industry and community-focused roundtables, which ensure that teaching and learning at VU stays relevant to a particular industry.

Students will be equipped with practical skills they can use not only in their future careers but also to better contribute to their communities.

KPMG is one of Australia's largest professional services firms offering a range of audit, tax and advisory services to private and public sector clients. Our Australian practice consists of more than 380 partners and 5000 people providing professional and support services. We are affiliated to KPMG International, a global network of professional services firms of over 100,000 people in around 140 countries.

We recognise that maintaining and encouraging an inclusive workplace is vital for KPMG to attract and retain the best people and to stand apart as an organisation delivering exceptional value for its clients. We also understands that celebrating and facilitating diversity within KPMG and recognising the increasing diversity of the societies in which we live and do business will also help pave the way for our firm's future success.

ANZ is a proud sponsor of the Diversity@work Awards 2008 and is committed to creating an inclusive workplace where employee differences are valued and leveraged for individual and business success.

At ANZ, our goal is to have a workforce that reflects the diversity of the communities in which we operate. We recognise that diversity provides our organisation with rich talent, perspectives and experiences to draw upon to succeed in a global marketplace. ANZ leads Australian companies in setting diversity targets and in 2008 established Group-wide employment targets covering gender, age, cultural diversity (ethnic background) and disability.

We're proud to be recognised as a mature age champion by the Federal Government and as an Employer of Choice for Women by EOWA (Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Agency). We provide specific development programs for women, as well as flexible work practices and leading parental leave policies for all employees. ANZ was the first bank in Australia to offer 12 weeks paid parental leave for all staff regardless of years of service. Our Reconciliation Action Plan contains one of the most ambitious targets for the employment of Indigenous Australians of any leading Australian company.

The Victorian Equal Opportunity & Human Rights Commission administers three pieces of legislation:

• The Equal Opportunity Act 1995;
• The Racial and Religious Tolerance Act 2001; and
• The Victorian Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities Act 2006.

The Commission's role is to:

• Help to resolve individual and representative complaints about discrimination, sexual harassment and racial and religious vilification by offering a conciliation process that is: confidential; impartial; free; simple
• Provide education about equality of opportunity, racial and religious tolerance and human rights
• Undertake projects and activities aimed at eliminating discrimination and racial and religious intolerance
• Conduct research and provide legal and policy advice
• Undertake specific functions in relation to the Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities, which include
• Providing an independent assessment of how well State and local Government comply with the Charter
• Investigating particular human rights issues and concerns

The Commission is not a tribunal or court. The Commission is an independent statutory body that reports to the Victorian Parliament through the State Attorney-General.

Cisco is the worldwide leader in networking for the Internet that enables people to make powerful connections whether in business, education, philanthropy or creativity. Cisco hardware, software, and service offerings are used to create the Internet solutions that make networks possible-providing easy access to information anywhere, at any time.

At Cisco, we believe that we must attract and retain the most talented people in our industry in order to remain competitive. So we listen carefully to what our employees worldwide say about the kind of workplace they want, and then develop programs to address those needs. We also solicit feedback to help ensure that leaders, direct reports, peers, internal clients, and external customers have an opportunity to assess our employees' efficacy and satisfaction.

Diversity in our employee population is a key business advantage. An inclusive workplace positions Cisco to anticipate market demand, be responsive to all our customers, and build a solid foundation for future growth. Cisco hires people of diverse backgrounds, cultures, skills, and points of view while promoting a common dedication across the company to teamwork, innovation, and customer success. We offer numerous programs and services to support our diverse employee population:

• Employee Networks
• Diversity and Inclusion Education
• Partnership with Professional Associations Championing Diversity
• Support for Education
• Women and Ethnic Minorities
• Middle East Partnership Initiative

The Australian Multicultural Foundation (AMF) was established in 1988 as part of Australia's Bicentennial Year.

The aims and objectives of the Foundation are:

• To cultivate in all Australians a strong commitment to Australia as one
• people drawn from many cultures and by so doing to advance its social and economic well-being;
• The promotion of an awareness among the people of Australia of the diversity of cultures within Australia and the contribution of people from all cultures to the development of Australia; and
• The spread of respect and understanding between all cultural groups through any appropriate means.

The Foundations aims:
The Australian Multicultural Foundation achieves its aims by adopting issues of national significance and initiating project and programs in a variety of fields and activities. Over the last twenty years the AMF has promoted a socially cohesive society through its initiation of projects and research, nationally and internationally in such diverse issues including the arts and culture, education and training, health, religions, volunteering, leadership, and many others.

Victoria Police provides a 24-hour police service to the Victorian community, contributing to a high quality of life for individuals in the community by ensuring a safe and secure society. Employing more than 13,600 people, including police, public servants and protective security officers, Victoria Police values its diverse workforce.

Victoria Police seeks to actively promote and maintain harmonious relationships with Victoria's diverse community. Those relationships are based on mutual respect, tolerance and trust. Police work closely with different sectors of the community such as families, children, youth and multicultural communities to address particular issues. The programs and activities that focus on community and family issues are a very important part of police work. They help to ensure that people feel safe while going about their daily activities.

Victoria Police maintains a strong focus on multi-cultural communities, with the Multicultural Advisory Unit responsible for: Advising police on multicultural issues; Cross-cultural training for police members; and Providing information on the role of police to Victorians from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. The MAU is part of the Operations Department and works closely with other proactive areas of the Community and Cultural Division.

AES is about building pride, passion and commitment in Aboriginal communities

The Aboriginal Employment Strategy (AES) is a not-for-profit organisation that specializes in placing and mentoring Indigenous people into employment. We work with Indigenous people who want to make a change in their lives.

The AES is the vehicle for Corporate Australia to engage Indigenous people, we are the link between business and the Aboriginal community. Our corporate partners include some of Australia's largest companies including ANZ, Commonwealth Bank, Qantas, Telstra, NAB, Westpac, Toyota, Australia Post, Landmark and several others as well as local businesses in your community.

We are a relationship company; we provide specialise advice to employers on diversity matters aligned to recruitment, career development, career progression, one to one support and we build relationships that give employers a better understanding of Indigenous people.

Since July 2005 the AES has placed about 3100 Indigenous people into real jobs.

The AES' key business drivers are:

• Employment Services
• Group Training
• Registered Training
• Talent Management
• Youth Entrepreneurial
• Ambassador Program

The AES is proud to be associated with and support the 2008 Diversity@Work Awards.

AMES supports people from a broad range of cultural backgrounds, helping them to live, learn and work in Australia.

Since the 1950s, AMES has been assisting newly arrived migrants and refugees to learn English as a fundamental part of the settlement process. Most recently this has been delivered as part of the Adult Migrant English Program (AMEP), funded by the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC). Around 10,000 refugees and migrants participate in this program every year.

AMES provides housing and connects new arrivals with essential services through the Integrated Humanitarian Settlement Strategy (IHSS), funded by DIAC.

And through the Employment Services program and direct partnerships with major employers, AMES supports migrants and refugees to find work in Australia by providing skills, training and work experience, funded by the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR).

In 2007:

• More than 40,000 clients from over 138 countries benefited from AMES services
• AMES settled over 3,300 individuals from refugee and humanitarian backgrounds in Victoria
• Over 10,000 clients participated in the AMEP program
• Over 8,800 jobseekers were placed in employment in Victoria and NSW by AMES
• More than 1600 volunteers and 140 Community Guides donated their time to AMES clients
• AMES had more than 700 staff who, between them, spoke 73 different languages

SageCo partners with organizations across the private and public sector to address the risks, challenges and opportunities of workforce ageing. Solutions include;

• Knowledge Continuity programs to capture and transfer critical business knowledge between workforce generations
• Create Retirement Success and Redirection to engage, retain and transition mature workers
• SageCentre – online toolkit for Managers and Mature Workers within organisations
• Connecting organizations with the fastest growing labour market pool – the over 45's through partner job board www.adage.com.au

Recent client testimonials;

"Based on manager feedback during the sessions it is clear that we have hit the mark with this program - from both a people retention & knowledge transfer perspective" – Telstra

"Close to 300 people have participated in SageCo's Create Retirement Seminars and we have had a fantastic response. The seminars have had a positive impact on peoples' financial situation, health and work with 30% of respondents accessing flexible work arrangements since attending the seminar" – IAG

The Department of Transport's mission is to build a safer, fairer and greener transport system for all Victorians - creating a more prosperous and connected community. The Department is strongly focused on delivering transport improvements to Victoria and provides support to two ministers and their portfolio areas, the Minister for Public Transport and the Minister for Roads and Ports.

JobAccess (phone 1800 464 800) is a national advisory service providing information on all matters relating to the employment of people with disability. A team of qualified professionals provide information and advice specifically for employers, job seekers, employees with disability, their co-workers, and Australian employment service providers. They can also assist with managing various disabilities in the workplace, and provide information about the financial incentives and workplace modifications available.

JobAccess is a free service run by disability employment specialists WorkFocus Australia, on behalf of the Australian Government. WorkFocus Australia is part of the WorkFocus Group of companies, one of Australia's top disability employment organisations. The WorkFocus Group was established in 1989 and has been operating for nearly 20 years in Western Australia, 9 years in NSW, 5 years in Victoria, 2 years in the ACT and has recently commenced operations in Brisbane, Queensland.

Mt Eliza Executive Education helps you and your organisation achieve its strategic goals through customised, tailored, open and coaching programs. In all modes this starts with you, either as an individual or an organisational decision-maker.

Mt Eliza is the executive education arm of Melbourne Business School, which is a part of the University of Melbourne. Our prestigious 50-year history of working successfully with organisations has recently culminated in a ranking by the Financial Times as the # 1 executive educator in Australia and the Asia Pacific.

As your business partner we work with you in the spirit of exploration and challenge to diagnose your core issues and problems and suggest relevant learning solutions to achieve organisational success. We translate theoretical concepts into practical realities. In that sense we are not a traditional business school because we focus strongly on moving the needle for organisations in terms of business outcomes.

We deliver our solutions through our practical executive education facilitators, the region’s largest associate network and academic faculty..

We go beyond the traditional learning methods of classroom teaching, cases and exercises to deliver blended learning experiences. This can involve the use of simulations, coaching and mentoring, business projects and virtual and e-learning.

While we work with clients to deliver solutions around the globe, we hold a number of programs at our heritage-listed executive retreat overlooking Port Phillip Bay.

Our solutions create new values, behaviours and knowledge for achieving lasting change for you and your organisation. Individuals become more skilled, effective and valued and organisations enhance their capability on the road to success.

Mercy Health is a Catholic community benefit organisation that lives its ethos of "Care First."

Mercy Health was founded by the Sisters of Mercy and provides acute hospital and aged care, mental health, specialist women's health, early parenting and palliative care services to more than 350,000 people across Victoria and regional New South Wales each year.

The mission of the Sisters of Mercy is to educate and care for the sick, the poor and the vulnerable. This is reflected in Mercy Health’s values of Compassion, Respect, Innovation, Stewardship and Teamwork.

Valuing Diversity at Mercy Health means accepting and embracing the individual differences that make each of us human beings.

Mercy Health is guided by a belief in the uniqueness of each person and his or her circumstances and has an inclusive organisational culture where individual differences are respected and promoted.

Mercy Health has a comprehensive Diversity Program, including, Multicultural and Indigenous health services and supports programs. Innovative workplace programs and policies are in place to assist our people to grow their careers whilst balancing the demands of life.

Make Poverty History is part of the Global Call to Action against Poverty involving about 80 countries that aims to end the injustice of poverty. It is the largest anti-poverty movement in history.

In Australia, Make Poverty History is a coalition of more than 60 aid agencies, community groups and religious organisations. The coalition seeks to ensure the Australian Government creates policies that:

• guarantee more and better aid, debt relief, fairer trade,
• help poor communities keep their governments accountable
• tackle climate change
• honour commitments made to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), a global plan to halve poverty by 2015.

For Further information, please visit www.makepovertyhistory.com.au

The Crown Entertainment Complex on Melbourne's South Bank is a leading Australian entertainment venue. Located on the southern bank of Melbourne's Yarra River, Crown offers a brilliant combination of unsurpassed luxury, relaxed style, warm service and non-stop excitement. Crown is Melbourne's premier entertainment venue offering something to meet every need and match every mood.

Crown is Victoria's single largest tourist destination, attracting more than 15 million visitors each year.

Crown is an Equal Opportunity Employer. As such Crown respects the diverse nature of its workforce and is committed to creating an environment within Crown in which equity and diversity are recognised as being essential to the high performance of the company and are incorporated into day to day business. We will demonstrate fairness and respect in our dealings with our colleagues, customers, shareholders, suppliers and the community.

The Australian Human Rights Commission is the new name of the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission. The Commission goal is to foster greater understanding and protection of human rights in Australia and to address the human rights concerns of a broad range of individuals and groups.

We are an independent statutory organisation and report to the federal Parliament through the Attorney-General.

The Commission's responsibilities include:

• education and public awareness;
• discrimination and human rights complaints;
• human rights compliance; and
• policy and legislative development.

We do this through:

• resolving complaints of discrimination or breaches of human rights under federal laws;
• holding public inquiries into issues of national importance, such as the forcible removal of Indigenous children from their families and the rights of children in immigration detention centres;
• developing human rights education programs and resources for schools, workplaces and the community;
• providing independent advice to assist courts in cases that involve human rights principles;
• providing advice and assistance to parliaments and governments to develop laws, programs and policies;
• undertaking and coordinating research into human rights and discrimination issues.

We work closely with other national human rights institutions, particularly through the Asia Pacific Forum of National Human Rights Institutions, to address major human rights issues in the region.

For more information, visit www.hreoc.gov.au.

The staff of Wathaurong Glass & Arts takes pleasure in presenting our company, the products and a brief insight to our cultural heritage.

The company was formed to express aboriginal art in glass. This may include the use of kiln forming, sandblasting or any other technique we feel is suitable to achieve the required result. Great pride is taken in producing unique artwork with a net result of high quality glass products, some of the products produced include Glass Splashbacks, windows, doors, glass flooring, platters, bowls and tabletops, Glass wall art, light lenses etc. The use of glass with in the home or building is only limited by the imagination.

Wathaurong Glass & Arts is an Aboriginal owned & operated business, the business started in 1998 as a Community Development Employment Project (CDEP) by Wathaurong Aboriginal Co-Operative LTD to address employment issues. In 2000 the business was registered and since has been trading unsubsidised and operating like any other small business.

The name WATHAURONG (wathawurrung or wada warrung) is a recognised tribe, it consisted of 20-25 groups (clans), which made up the tribe of Wathaurong. The boundaries of Wathaurong are from Geelong (Victoria) North to Werribee River N.W to Bacchus Marsh S.W to Cressy S.E to Colac E to Lorne N back to Geelong encompassing the Bellarine Peninsular.

Mitchella Hutchins established Waljin Consultancy (Waljin) in 2000. Waljin is Mitchella's traditional Wardandi tribal name which translates to mean "The Rainbow Woman".

Waljin specialises in the provision of cultural education and tourism programs and has earned an exceptional reputation having inspired people from all walks of life.

In 2000 Waljin provided a Welcome to Country and cultural tour for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth and has delivered similar tours to many international dignitaries and supported many organisations in developing cultural competence within their workforces. Waljin also delivers cultural learning experiences to school children, ranging from single day programs to eight day survival camps.

In 2007 Waljin created iCAT Online, a web accessed Indigenous Cultural Awareness Training program. iCAT Online is a collaborative project between Waljin and Interactive Training Resources Australia (iTRA). This cross cultural collaboration presents cultural learning about the world's oldest living culture using 21st century technology.

iCAT is an ideal learning tool to enhance the effectiveness of Indigenous employment strategies, improve corporate engagement with Indigenous communities and develop competent citizenship. Income generated from the sale of iCAT Online supports a range of self funded youth and enterprise development projects providing a paradigm shift from dependence to empowerment.

iCAT is being delivered throughout Australia with both small businesses and national corporations signing up. Free iCAT programs are provided to schools for each purchased by the corporate sector providing positive public relations benefit to participating businesses.

Waljin and the iCAT Project is about partnerships with clients, Indigenous communities and like minded organisations such as Diversity@Work who join us in striving for a New Dreaming for all Australians.

The Herald Sun was established in 1990 as an amalgam of the afternoon daily, The Herald, and the morning daily, The Sun News-Pictorial. It sells more than 530,000^* copies a day, reaching 1.48 million readers. On any given day, 35 per cent of the adult population of Victoria reads the newspaper and, in the course of a week, 56 per cent of Victorians will read at least one issue. The Herald Sun remains Australia's most popular daily newspaper, attracting 1,480,000 readers (June 2008) Monday to Friday and 1.54 million Victorians each Sunday (June 2008).

HWT's newspaper interests date back to the launch in 1840 of The Port Philip Herald, and the company over time developed into Australia's largest media organisation, with broad investment in newspapers, television, radio and magazines.

HWT plays an important role in the Victorian community as a sponsor or supporter of numerous events and causes. Since 1931 it has conducted the annual Good Friday Appeal that has raised more than $100 million for the Royal Children's Hospital.

Source: Roy Morgan, June 2008 *ABC, April-June 2008

In today's tight labour market, all Australian businesses are starting to realise the importance of their human capital.

HR professionals have never before been under such close scrutiny to deliver results that matter, and the demand for expert insight and information has never been higher.

Human Capital was established in 2002 and is Australia's only magazine written for and targeted purely at senior HR professionals and top corporate decision makers. Human Capital concentrates on the issues and challenges facing the HR industry, with in-depth features and analysis of what really matters to HR professionals. HC also presents case studies, profiles, news and interviews with the leading news makers in the field. It's our aim to present timely, relevant and entertaining HR and business leadership information at all times.

Targeting the people who have the biggest impact on the industry, we draw on their experience and philosophies to ensure HC is a must read for senior HR and business professionals. HC is directly distributed to all senior HR professionals in Australia and those business leaders who are closely connected with their organisation's human capital.