Participating in the Ambassador Program helps organisations to:

• build trust and relationships with staff, stakeholders and the community
• identify and harness the skills and talents of their existing multicultural workforce
• improve recruitment processes, to attract more diverse and skilled applicants
• ensure services meet the needs of South Australia’s diverse communities
• inspire others to become more culturally aware, responsive and inclusive.

To be eligible and to complete the expression of interest form, organisations must:

• have a valid and active Australian Business Number (ABN)
• operate and/or have offices in South Australia
• be from the private, not-for-profit, or local government sectors
• employ 10 or more staff, with at least 5 staff employed full-time
• not be a home-based business or sole trader.

As a guide, participants can expect to progress through the following stages.

In the first two months, participants will:

• agree to a Statement of Commitment, which is co-signed with the Minister for Multicultural Affairs
• complete a self-assessment to determine how their workplace culture, policies and practices currently embrace the principles of the Charter
• work one-on-one with a multicultural workforce consultant, arranged by Multicultural Affairs, to review their self-assessment results. The consultant will make recommendations to help organisations create their bespoke Ambassador Program action plan, to progressively improve their diversity and cultural awareness.

Over the next two to three months, participants will refine their action plan with support and guidance from:

• a toolkit of resources
• two group forums, with guest speakers and discussions
• cultural competency training for up to five team members.

In the last month of the program, participants will finalise their action plan and their short, medium and long-term measures of success. Organisations commit to continually reviewing and improving their efforts beyond the life of their program participation.

The five organisations that participated in the Multicultural South Australia Ambassador pilot program are our Foundation Members. They remain involved in supporting the program.

• Cancer Council SA
• City of West Torrens
• Mitsubishi Motors Australia Limited
• PKF Adelaide
• RAA Group

During their six-month participation in the pilot program, these organisations each identified targeted and achievable actions they felt would make their workplaces more inclusive and culturally responsive.

New initiatives they identified for their organisations included:

• organisational diversity, inclusion and belonging plans, with measurable targets
• cultural competence in leadership training
• internal diversity surveys
• expansion of employment pathway programs to international students.

Ambassador organisations have committed to embedding the principles of the South Australian Multicultural Charter in their workforces, business practices and service delivery.

The following organisations have completed the Ambassador Program:

• Accor
• Adelaide Airport Limited
• Adelaide Fringe
• Adelaide United Football Club
• APS Industrial
• Australian Dental Foundation
• Basketball SA
• City of Charles Sturt
• City of Port Lincoln
• Community Access and Services SA
• Crowne Plaza Adelaide Mawson Lakes
• D&S Resources Pty Ltd
• Ernst & Young
• Flinders Port Holdings
• Flinders University
• Football South Australia
• GHD
• Journey Beyond
• Mayne Pharma
• National Pharmacies
• OARS Community Transitions
• Rural City of Murray Bridge
• SA Disability Care
• SA Mushrooms
• Santos
• South Australian Business Chamber
• South Australian Cricket Association
• South Australian Produce Market
• Torrens Transit