Warrnambool Multicultural Association

Limited places remain for interpreting and translating scholarships 🎓

Through the Victorian Government’s partnership with RMIT University, bilingual Victorians can access support to study interpreting and translating across a range of languages. This helps more people remain connected and have access to the support services they need.

Scholarships are available for the Introduction to Interpreting Skill Set and Introduction to Translating and Interpreting Skill Set courses.

Find out more and apply: https://www.vic.gov.au/interpreter-scholarships

We are hiring! Are you the first Executive Officer for WMA?

The EO provides the organisational backbone for WMA, overseeing governance, strategy, operations, and external relationships to ensure the sustainability, growth, and impact of the organisation. The EO leads the development of WMA’s capability, programming, partnerships, and revenue generation, and supports the Board with effective governance and long-term planning.

This position is central to shifting WMA from a volunteer-led organisation to a sustainable community institution with enduring regional impact.

Check out more via the link

Executive Officer — Warrnambool Multicultural Association (WMA) Job in Warrnambool, South West Coast VIC - SEEK Executive Officer leads strategy, governance, and growth at WMA, strengthening operations and community impact through partnerships and development.

Recently, Warrnambool Multicultural Association (WMA) was invited to present at the CFA (Country Fire Authority) - CFA South West Volunteer Forum as part of the South West Region Community Safety Forum: Innovation and Modernisation in Our Communities.

The forum explored how communities and organisations can work together to build safer, more connected and inclusive communities through innovation, collaboration and new approaches to engagement.

WMA Board members Jan Drew and Daisy Ye shared insights on the challenges in prevention and response, how multicultural communities receive official information, and how CFA brigades can better engage with diverse communities - focusing on barriers to engagement, communication tools, and practical ways to meet communities where they are.

We were also very encouraged by the feedback received from the forum coordinator Paul McCallum:

“The feedback from the forum was that your session was one of the most highly rated and everyone we spoke to after were very impressed. Thanks again for attending, it added some great discussion about engagement.”

We thank the SWR Community Safety Team for the opportunity to contribute to this important conversation.

The power of cultural diversity to drive local economic growth is evident in many communities, yet in regional areas there is still significant opportunity to better recognise, engage and harness its value.

Warrnambool Multicultural Association is pleased that our President, Daisy Ye, will be joining Andrew Wear, former Director of Economic Development and International at the City of Melbourne, and George Osborne, General Manager of Economic Development at Hume City Council, for this important online roundtable discussion.

Daisy will bring a perspective shaped by economic development practice, lived experience as a first-generation migrant, and community advocacy in Warrnambool and South West Victoria. Importantly, she hopes to contribute a regional voice to the conversation — sharing both the opportunities and challenges faced in communities like ours.

At WMA, we believe cultural diversity is not only about inclusion and celebration; it is also a strength that can contribute to stronger local economies, greater innovation, workforce attraction, social connection and community resilience. Through participating in conversations like this, we hope to encourage broader recognition of the role diversity can play in helping Warrnambool and our region thrive, and inspire us all to continue supporting one another to build an even more connected and prosperous community.

Thank you to iGen Foundation for hosting the roundtable, to Lynda Ford OAM for your ongoing inspiration, and to Economic Development Australia Limited for helping promote these important conversations.

Cultural diversity is one of the most underused levers in local economic development, and it's the focus of the next Australian Intercultural Collaboration (AIC) online roundtable, hosted by the iGen Foundation on Tuesday 9 June from 12.00 to 1.30pm AEST.

The conversation builds on themes many of you will recognise from Lynda Ford OAM's recent EDA Journal article and her presentation at the National Roadshow.

Featuring a panel of economic development experts:

- Andrew Wear from Econovation
- Daisy Ye from Warrnambool Multicultural Association
- George Osborne from Hume City Council

It's a topic our sector keeps circling back to, and this is a useful chance to hear it tackled from three different angles in one sitting.

ACEcD-recognised members may log CPD points for attendance.

Register here: https://tinyurl.com/5fevukuk