IPEd has received funding from the Copyright Agency’s Cultural Fund to deliver custom training for our mentoring program. The training is designed to address one of the publishing sector’s most pressing challenges: the under-representation of First Nations and culturally diverse editors within the professional pipeline.
This is a sector-strengthening program that directly addresses industry-wide calls for greater inclusion. It will achieve this goal by equipping our professional leaders with the knowledge, skills and confidence to mentor emerging First Nations and culturally diverse editors.
The funding will see 30 of our valued mentors gain advanced skills in allyship, bias mitigation and culturally responsive mentorship. These editors will in turn support a new generation of First Nations and culturally diverse editors, directly strengthening their career pathways and supporting them to build sustainable careers in editing. With their newly acquired knowledge and skills, the mentors will be more effective allies across their wider professional networks and within their own workplaces.
IPEd CEO Karen Lee said the program would allow IPEd to take a decisive step toward a more inclusive and forward-looking editing profession.
“This initiative strengthens our capacity to nurture and elevate First Nations and culturally diverse editors so the profession better reflects the voices and stories of contemporary Australia,” Karen said.
“This investment helps build an editorial workforce that upholds authenticity, strengthens trust with writers and contributes to a more equitable publishing ecosystem.
“We’re grateful to the Copyright Agency for their support,” she added.
The broader IPEd membership will benefit from resources developed through the program, such as guides and fact sheets on inclusive publishing practices. These tools will be disseminated widely, embedding inclusive practice into everyday editorial work.