Footprints

This program is available anytime. It supports APS employees to continually increase and enhance their cross-cultural knowledge and understanding.

Footprints is a framework that supports APS employees to continually increase and enhance their cross-cultural knowledge and understanding.

Participants in Footprints are encouraged to engage in learning activities to increase and enhance their knowledge and understanding of the cultures that make Australia who we are, support respectful learning about other cultural backgrounds, and encompass the principles of creating and maintaining a culturally safe work environment. This includes the diverse cultures of First Nations peoples in Australia, their lands, cultures and histories, as well as the cultures of those who have migrated to Australia from other countries.

Learning activities can include reading a book, completing a course, watching a movie or an on-country experience just to name a few.

This learning experience has been provided by the National Indigenous Australians Agency.

How does Footprints work?

Plan - You take responsibility for your own learning journey through a ‘choose your own adventure’ approach.
Do - You choose what activities you undertake to help build your cross-cultural knowledge and understanding.
Reflect - You reflect and record what you learnt. Each submitted activity reflection helps you collect Footprints.

How to collect Footprints?

You collect footprints when you complete an activity and submit a reflection. There are four types of activities: Attending, Doing, Sharing or Immersing. Each type of activity is assigned a different number of footprints you can collect. The more footprints you collect, the more progress you make on your cross-cultural capability journey.

You can collect Footprints by completing:

a learning activity from the Footprints Activity Library and submitting your reflection;
an external learning activity and submitting your reflection under External Learning. This is for activities not in the Footprints Activity Library.

It is recommended that you read the Footprints Disclaimers and Footprint User guides and Workbooks Summary prior to undertaking your first activity.

Participant benefits

Engage in material and build relationships through social learning with people from cultures other than your own.
Exposure to material which celebrates the cultural diversity of Australia, its people, story-telling and histories.
Recognise and build your awareness of cultural differences and value the importance for all staff to feel respected.
Opportunity to reflect on an activity and how it has developed your cultural awareness and its relationship to the work you do.

Suitable for

All staff.

Category and User Level

This learning experience aligns with APS People at the Foundation level.

Considerations

Learners should consult with their supervisor or workplace before undertaking Footprints related activities.

Price

Free of charge.

Note: It is your choice how and which Footprints activities you undertake. Some Footprints activities may incur expenses. Footprints activities are not funded, and any associated expenses are at the cost of the individual or the agency. Please discuss any costs with your manager or agency.

Footprints Disclaimers

Please ensure you read the Footprints Disclaimers page prior to undertaking your first activity.

Awards

Footprints won the Best Learning & Development Strategy Award at the Australian HR Institute (AHRI) Awards 2024.

The award recognises initiatives or strategies which identify and prioritises current and future learning needs for the benefits of employee development and organisational outcomes.