December 2020
issue 01
E&D NEWS
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2020: The year That was equality and diversity This year has undoubtedly been history in the making for many reasons. Having lived through a global pandemic and witnessed uncertainty on a mass scale, it is easy to think of 2020 as the year that was Coronavirus. What is clear is that 2020 has been a year of change, of recognising inequality and
in the news © Apprenticeship connect
encouraging others to speak up, have a voice and challenge opinions. For equality and diversity 2020 has been a year of recognition, reflection and speaking out against institutional bias. It is a year which has paved the way for change. The video below reflects on 2020: the year that was equality and diversity.
In mid-November the English and Wales Cricket Board received accusations of ‘institutionalised racism’, following allegations made by two former umpires. According to the allegations, former umpire, Ismail Dawood spoke out about racist language being used in front of senior staff. It has also been reported that there has not been a black, Asian or minority ethnic umpire since 2010. 2020 has undoubtedly encouraged many people to raise awareness of inequality and recognise the importance of voicing their concerns. In the year of 2020, inequality still exists, and we must support the demand for change. To read more, visit the BBC website here.
inside AC In August 2020, the Apprenticeship Connect Equality and Diversity Steering Group was launched. The steering group currently consists of six members whom work in different areas of the organisation and can therefore radiate best practice and bring about change within their respective circles of influence. The Steering Group members are: Mateen (Tutor): Innovative teaching and learning, consistent best practice and Impact on learner outcomes. Olivia (Business and IT Analyst) – E&D data monitoring, systems and data protection. Rafiq (Director) – Supporting cultural change, provision of resources and building momentum. Saskia (Training Centre Advisor) – Communications with learners, induction processes and email and text support for E&D. Tori (Central Services Manager) – Marketing campaigns, success stories and HR monitoring. Ingrid (Curriculum Manager/ Steering Group Chair) – Quality assurance, coordinating E&D activities, and driving credibility. The principal aims of the Steering Group are: 1. To form a diverse group of individuals representing different cultures, experiences and viewpoints who will influence the equality December 2020
and diversity strategy at Apprenticeship Connect. 2. To identify and work to achieve our equality and diversity strategic goals, targets and measurements. 3. To work collectively to consider developments, adjustments and initiatives to internal and external activities to support inclusion, equality and diversity in a range of different areas. 4. To continually appraise the impact of equality and diversity provision across our entire provision. Group meetings are held on the second Friday of the month and current projects include: • Launching the first quarterly E&D newsletter in December 2020 • Creating a diversity calendar to celebrate, acknowledge and remember different events throughout the year to
raise awareness and improve understanding • Recruiting a Learner Champion to join the group in January 2021 • Recruiting an Employer Champion to join the group in May 2021 We are delighted to announce we are now accepting applications for a Learner Champion to join the Equality and Diversity Steering Group! This is a fantastic opportunity for one of our learners to make a difference, be the voice of their classmates and invoke change. Click here to find out how you can get involved!
Learning corner Language is powerful. Educating yourself on how to greet in different languages can help you to become more inclusive. This video will teach you how to say “Hello”, “Good morning”, “Good afternoon” and “Good evening” in the five most commonly spoken languages across the world today (besides English). Simply click ‘play’ on the video and repeat as the video speaks to you. Learn Mandarin Chinese, Spanish, Hindi, Bengali and Portuguese in 3 minutes!
Exploring: Protected Characteristics The nuances of age What is age discrimination? This is when you are treated differently because of your age in one of the situations that are covered by the Equality Act. How am I protected from age discrimination? Under the Equality Act, you are protected from age discrimination in all aspects of your employment including recruitment, employment terms and conditions, promotions and transfers, training and dismissals. The Equality Act protects you from direct discrimination, indirect discrimination, harassment and victimisation. Some examples of what these might include are:
Direct discrimination: If your employer says he/she will not promote you because you’re “too old” or “too young” Indirect discrimination: If your employer offers a training course only to recent graduates, this could constitute indirect discrimination, as it could exclude older employees. Harassment: If colleagues makes jokes about your age which are offensive, or if they make comments about the age of someone you associate with, such as a partner, this would be harassment.
Victimisation: For example, if after supporting a colleague’s complaint of age discrimination you are overlooked for a promotion that you would otherwise have been given. Remember, whilst an employer may be able to challenge claims of discrimination by explaining conditions justifying their decision(s), they can never justify harassment or victimisation. What do I do if I have been illegally discriminated against? How you take action will depend on who your complaint is against but here’s a general guide of what you should do. issue 01
TOOLKIT Click here to download our 2021 Equality & Diversity Calendar. Looking to create your own calendar? Click here to download an unbranded 2021 Equality & Diversity Calendar.
Understanding your rights and the rights of those you work with is key to ensuring that you’re able to identify and address unlawful discrimination, victimisation and harassment both inside and outside of the workplace. Use the quiz to the right to test your own knowledge of the Equality Act 2010, or use it as an activity within your team meetings to facilitate a forum for discussion, questions and education about equality, diversity and inclusion. Click here to download the quiz.
We want to hear from you! At AC we believe collaboration is key and learning from others is a great way to improve how we work. We want to help each other and so we’re looking to feature you in future E&D News editions. Each edition we’ll be focussing on the great work you’re doing to promote equality and diversity in your workplace. Perhaps you too have launched an internal steering group, or maybe you’ve released a new company procedure to remove biases. Whatever you’re doing to improve equality and diversity we want to hear it! If you’d be interested in featuring in our next edition, please get in touch by emailing callback@apprenticeshipconnect.co.uk to tell us more about the work you’re doing! December 2020
issue 01