Welcoming Australia Professional Learning Partnership

As the experts in welcoming practice through their internationally awarded Standards of Practice, Welcoming Australia has delivered a continuous learning journey as part of its partnership with Museums Victoria. This focused on developing welcoming best practices for staff members. The initiative came as a response to the Museums Victoria Recruitment Research Report which recommended opportunities for staff professional development. The training included members of staff and leaders.

Staff attending the Welcoming Australia training held in the Learning LAB, Melbourne Museum.

The partnership delivered online seminar presentations, self-guided learning, in-person workshops, keynote presentations and guest presentations. Topics included Active Inclusion, Implicit Bias, Upstander training, Respectful Conversations and the State of Welcome.

Welcoming Australia CEO Aleem Ali presented national evidence-based findings in his State of Welcome presentation to leaders. Similarly, Associate Professor Kathomi Gatwiri presented on her new scholarly work, the Racial Dignity Framework, in April 2025 to Museums Victoria staff members.

Aleem Ali, CEO Welcoming Australia, presenting 'A State of Welcome' to the Museums Victoria Leadership Forum at the Melbourne Museum Theatre.

Museums Victoria has proudly also committed to this evolutionary workplace process by joining as a foundation member of Welcoming Workplaces.

Employee Network Events

Women at the Museum hosting the International Women’s Day panel discussion on the United Nations theme Count Her In: Invest in Women, Accelerate Progress, held in Treetops, Melbourne Museum.

Employee Network Groups produced events for all staff including International Women’s Day speaking panels and school visits that introduced employment pathways at the museum.