A TRAINING opportunity with the University of Melbourne will help Wimmera managers learn how to mitigate the risk of unconscious bias in the workplace.
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Women’s Health Grampians will run a half-day unconscious bias training course in Horsham in September.
The session is part of the organisation’s CORE – Communities of Respect and Equality – work. CORE is a regional strategy launched in 2016, with the aim of working towards a safe, equal and respectful society.
About 100 organisations in the Grampians region are CORE alliance members.
Women’s Health Grampians chief executive Marianne Hendron said unconscious bias training had successfully ran previously in other areas, and the organisation wanted to offer Wimmera people the chance to take part.
The session on September 11 – open to CORE members – will focus on how bias might be present in organisational structures, and what workplaces can do to reduce this.
Dr Victor Sojo – a research fellow from the Centre of Workplace Leadership at the University of Melbourne – will present the training.
“We've run sessions in Ballarat that have been very popular and useful for organisations,” Ms Hendron said.
“It’s about tackling gender equality, especially in relation to women's representation at a senior level. There might be areas where assumptions or presumptions are being made that managers aren't aware of.”
Ms Hendron said the training would highlight how anyone could be susceptible to apply unconscious biases in their thinking and behaviour.
“It's not something that is exclusive to men or male leaders,” she said. “It's often highlighted for women and girls in terms of the choices they think they might have or the pathways they believe they are capable of.
“At International Women’s Day in Horsham a few years ago, we had a someone who spoke about wanting to be an electrician. She found there was some negativity from her female peers, whereas some of her male peers where more encouraging.
“Her father said something that resonated with me: ‘Don't discriminate against yourself.'
“Sometimes bias gets in the way of us seeing our options.”
The training will run at Horsham Golf Club from 9.30am to 12.30pm.
Ms Hendron said people could call 5322 4100 or visit eventbrite.com.au/e/unconscious-bias-training-for-managers-tickets-48438184915 for more information.
