About bicultural workers
A bicultural worker is generally someone who:
- knows and understands 2 or more cultures
- is employed to use this knowledge in their role at work.
They may have grown up in or lived in communities with their own languages, values and connections.
This means they can help the government build trust and understanding with the community.
What bicultural workers do
Bicultural workers can be helpful in many different roles. For example, they might work in schools, hospitals and government offices.
They may work with the government to co-design inclusive and responsive community services and programs. This collaboration helps encourage people to use them.
Bicultural workers can:
- help people from different cultures understand each other
- build trust and understanding between the government, services and the community
- identify and advocate for community needs
- educate community members about government initiatives
- educate public sector employees about culturally appropriate engagement
- help people access services
- help resolve conflicts based on cultural misunderstandings
- create a more diverse and inclusive work environment
- provide cultural competence training
- deliver community services and programs
- support evaluation, planning, service design and community consultation
- review materials, resources and services to make sure they’re accessible and culturally safe
- assist with inclusive recruitment and establish community networks.
Learn more about what bicultural workers do
We’ve included these resources for interest only. We don’t own or endorse the content.
- Bicultural workers skills and expertise by cohealth
- Code of ethics by cohealth
- Building on Strength. Developing Australia’s Bilingual and Bicultural Health and Care Workforce by the Social Policy Group and Migrant and Refugee Health Partnership
- Bicultural workers leading change final report by cohealth and Department of Jobs, Precincts and Regions
- Addressing the strengths and complexities of bicultural youth and family work by Centre for Multicultural Youth
- Multicultural Education Aide Support Program by Foundation House.
What bicultural workers don’t do
Bicultural workers will have different responsibilities depending on their role. But, they shouldn’t be expected to:
- serve as representatives for an entire culture or community
- be the sole source of information on a particular culture, language or community
- be the only person responsible for communication between a department and a specific community
- be content experts. For example, to deliver specialised health or legal information.
- act as professional interpreters or bilingual workers unless that’s part of their role.
Bilingual workers are employed to do their work in two languages. They’re not bicultural workers unless they’re employed and trained to do bicultural work.
Other job titles that can be used for a bicultural worker
People with bicultural skills will have different job titles depending on the industry or organisation they work in.
Some common ones include:
- Cultural liaison officer
- Cultural engagement practitioner
- Multicultural community liaison
- Multicultural community engagement officers (advisory role)
- Multicultural advisor
- Multicultural education aides
- Cross-cultural worker
- Diversity and inclusion officer.
Helpful resources
To learn more about the bicultural workforce in Australia, we recommend reading:
- Australia’s Bilingual and Bicultural Workforce published by FECCA
- Building on Strength, Developing Australia’s Bilingual and Bicultural Health and Care Workforce published by Migrant and Refugee Health Partnership and The Social Policy Group
- Working together published by cohealth
- Bicultural Brilliance , a toolkit for working with and as Bicultural Workers published by enliven, the Department of Health and Human Services, Monash Health Refugee Health and Wellbeing, South East Community Links and Red Cross
- Bicultural workers leading change final report , cohealth and Department of Jobs, Precincts and Regions
- Supporting Bicultural workers: A literature review published by cohealth
- Bilingual staff research project , published by Centre for culture, ethnicity and health
- Language services policies and guidelines , Department of Health.
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