Enhancing Post-Secondary Students’ Work Readiness for Multicultural Environments through Sociocultural Competence Training

On July 9, 2013, the Centre for Instructional Development proudly presented the Learn @ Lunch Workshop “Enhancing Post-Secondary Students’ Work Readiness for Multicultural Environments through Sociocultural Competence Training”, presented by Dr. Anita Mak.

In order to develop post-secondary students’ work readiness in culturally diverse societies and international environments, educators have advocated that program leaders should engage faculty members in embedding intercultural competence development in the curriculum, and evaluate the subsequent impact on faculty and student outcomes. This approach has been adopted in an Australian Government Office for Learning and Teaching (OLT) Project titled “Internationalisation at Home” (IaH), which involved providing Business and Health faculty with professional development adapted from an established sociocultural competency training resource – the EXCELL (Excellence in Cultural Experiential Learning and Leadership) Program.

This VCC Learn@Lunch seminar reported the action research processes and outcomes of the IaH Project implemented at two Australian universities. Also, Vancouver Community College faculty and professional staff members shared their reflections on teaching innovations and first-hand experiences with embedding sociocultural competency training in the curricula of diverse disciplines.

About Dr. Anita Mak:

Dr Anita Mak is currently Visiting Professor at the Department of Educational & Counselling Psychology & Special Education, Faculty of Education, UBC. She is Professor of Psychology, Faculty of Health, University of Canberra, Australia and a fellow of the International Academy of Intercultural Research. Anita’s specialist research areas are acculturation, sociocultural competence training, adolescent and immigrant mental health, and employment-related stress.

Anita is a co-developer of the EXCELL (Excellence in Cultural Experiential Learning and Leadership) Program. EXCELL is an evidence-based behavioural program for developing sociocultural competencies that has been introduced into over 100 educational institutions in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the UK,
and Europe.