The Mentoring Program (in its trial format) was launched in 2009 by Australia ICOMOS in conjunction with The Donald Horne Institute for Cultural Heritage, University of Canberra, and the Institute for Professional Practice in Heritage and the Arts, ANU. The program facilitated the participation of Australia ICOMOS members, who were based in or close to Canberra, in a trial mentoring program for students and early career professionals.

Since then, Mentoring Programs have been run in Victoria (from 2012) and NSW (from 2015) and a small but successful program was run in Tasmania in 2018.

What is required?

• A monthly meeting of just an hour or so between the mentor and mentee to discuss issues involved in heritage practice and the student’s study or early career professional’s work, over a 4 or 5 month period
• Involvement of the mentee in a site visit or meeting, where appropriate
• Responding to some questions at the end of the mentoring trial for evaluation purposes