The Kaleidoscope Mentoring Program (KMP)
The award-winning Kaleidoscope Mentoring Program helps skilled newcomers (migrants and refugees) improve their employment potential by matching them with mentors from their industry or occupation. The program assists newcomers to build professional networks and increase knowledge of both recruitment practices and a better understanding of their profession locally.
The mentoring journey benefits both the newcomers and employers in Western Australia by sharing new ideas and boosting business development and cultural diversity in both the workplace and the community.
Now in its fourth year, KMP has helped over 234 skilled professional migrants improve their employment potential, with 80 per cent of past mentees reporting being employed in their fields within six months of completing the program.
The mentoring process
If you are successful in becoming part of the mentoring program, you will need to commit your time to the process. From meeting your mentee/mentor, through to the final graduation ceremony.
- Each mentoring cycle runs for three (3) months. During this time, the mentor and the mentee work together for a minimum of 25 hours.
- Mentees are also required, prior to commencing their mentoring partnership, to complete the job readiness program. This program will run in the weeks preceding the mentorship.
Note: The mentor’s role is NOT to find a job for the mentee.
How to become a Mentee
Newcomers (migrants and refugees) bring talent, innovation and international expertise to Western Australia, but they need information and networks to succeed. We aim to help professional newcomers improve their employment potential by matching them with mentors from their industry or occupation.
If you would like to become a mentee with the Kaleidoscope program you will need to apply online and meet the eligibility criteria for the program.
- Why you should become a mentee and your eligibility criteria
- Frequently asked questions on becoming a mentee
- You can review the questions asked in the Mentee application before applying.
We are currently taking expressions of interest (EOI) from Mentees for 2022 – Cycle 2 which runs from August to November. Please complete the below EOI and we will contact you when the application period opens in June.
How to become a Mentor
Mentors guide newcomers to find employment within their industry and help them understand Australian workplace culture, insights to the mentee’s profession/industry and occupationally specific professional networks to assist them to achieve their career goals. In return, the mentors benefit by enhancing their leadership, mentoring and cultural competency skills while working with a newcomer mentee.
We are continuously recruiting mentors to match with mentees for each cycle.
- Why you should become a mentor and your eligibility criteria
- Frequently asked questions on becoming a mentor
- You can review the questions from the mentor application here before applying.
The Kaleidoscope Mentoring Program is being implemented under a partnership between the City of Stirling, the City of Canning the City of Swan and Metropolitan Migrant Resource Centre and is funded by the Australian Government Department of Social Services and the Western Australian Government through the Office of Multicultural Interests. The Program has been created in consultation with the Toronto Regional Immigrant Employment Council (TRIEC). Their successful TRIEC Mentoring Partnership program is the model for mentoring programs across Canada and internationally.
