The Polykala Diversity & Inclusion Workshop was tailored to our organisation’s needs and is highly educational and fun. The workshop is very useful for the participants and provides our staff with a new set of tools for day-to-day situations. Staff have gained practical skill and great reference material to help in all aspects of diversity and inclusion at work.

Danny Milincic, Human Resources Business Partner, Glen Eira City Council

In 2018, Glen Eira City Council invited Polykala to design and deliver their Diversity & Inclusion training for all new staff working across the organisation. Glen Eira wanted the training to act as a ‘culture setter’ and introduce new employees to the council’s diversity and inclusion values. Glen Eira approached Polykala with clearly articulated values around diversity and a commitment to being a more inclusive municipality. They wanted a training program that activated those values and connect with staff on a personal level. Glen Eira City Council’s CEO Rebecca McKenzie stated:

“In order for the Council to be a high-performing organisation, we must constantly strive to foster an inclusive work culture and maintain an environment that embraces the diversity of our workforce. It is our differences and varying individual perspectives that make the Glen Eira community, and our workplace, the best it can be.”

We worked closely with Glen Eira City Council to develop a program built on our experiential learning methodology. The result is a 4-hour program that incorporates challenging reflective activities, interactive discussions and practical tools that can be used to challenge discriminatory behaviour in the workplace. The spirit behind the training and our approach is to raise awareness rather than engage in policing or naming and shaming. We’ve trained over 100 new staff and helped equip them to be more inclusive of their diverse workforce and community.

Danny Milincic, Glen Eira City Council’s Human Resources Business Partner said:

“Polykala’s training provided a sense of meaning and were able to speak to the importance of diversity and inclusion. They established a clear vision for the training program.”