The
Equality and Diversity
team at York College
collaborates with
key partners across
the Yorkshire and
Humber region to create
significant links,
share good practice
and continually develop
new resources to be
shared with the college
community. Materials
developed by current
and past partnerships
are of direct benefit
to York College and
are used to inform
and embed Equality
and Diversity into
the curriculum and
tutorial programmes,
attract and retain
a diverse staff and
student body in the
college and remain
on the cutting edge
of current legislation
and practical application.
Current
Partnerships
Starting Fresh NEET
This project aims to improve the prospects of NEET and at risk of NEET young people who with support, will be able to move towards employment and further learning.
Age Neutral
The main aim of the AgeNeutral project is to challenge the stereotypical views employers and employees have of older and younger workers by co-developing an age management strategy modular programme focusing on module one ‘An Introduction to Age Management Strategies’; age demographics and current legislation in UK, the business benefits for age equality and age profiling.
WorkAge
There are many people
who leave work early
because of a disability
or long term health
condition or some
sort of caring responsibility
which may impact on
their ability to work
or the type of work
they can do. A lack
of flexibility employers
grant can make the
situation much harder
to manage. In order
to address these issues
and extend and maintain
working lives, evidence
suggests it is most
effective to work
with both the individual
employee and their
employer to employ
an early intervention
model. Early intervention
has worked successfully
in retaining disabled
workers and those
with mental health
issues; however it
has not been applied
to older workers.
The WorkAge Project
will develop and test
an early intervention
service that will
support both older
employees and employers.
Employees will be
supported using a
range of interventions
including a skills
assessment and planning
tool to identify skills,
talents and experience
and areas for personal
development as well
as broaden perspectives
on future life planning,
which will be supported
through a peer mentoring
process. The service
will aim to enable
employees to work
more effectively and
for longer than they
otherwise might have
done. The service
will also encourage
a change in the cultural
perceptions of older
employees within the
companies that they
work.
The focus for employers
will be to review
current organisational
age profiles and practices
in order to ensure
retention of older
employees and adjust
their employment practices
to promote a positive
working culture for
older employees. This
will be informed by
the identification
of areas for personal
development for employees;
employers will be
encouraged to support
employees to develop
these areas. The service
will also help to
identify flexible
working options that
the organisation may
be able to adopt to
retain workers.
Two employers – Yorkshire
Bank and Northern
Rail – have been identified
as test beds for the
service. The Lab will
work with the project
to further develop
the way older people
can be engaged in
delivery of the idea.
In particular we see
a role for peer to
peer networks as a
way to sustain behaviour
change.
This project will
be led by York College
with Project Partners
Bavidge Consulting
and The Back to Work
Company; drawing upon
support from a wide
range of stakeholders
including Age UK,
Future Years, Business
Link and PRIME.
Age Unlimited
Our vision is to
create innovative
and challenging opportunities
for older workers
to:
Seize their future
in working terms and
make full use of their
skills and talents
to enjoy ‘Lifelong
Living’ and to encourage
employers to retain
and develop their
older workers.
Our proposed idea
is to challenge the
stereotypical view
older workers have
of both how others
view them post 50
and over and of how
they may view themselves
– undervaluing the
skills and talents
they’ve developed
through paid or unpaid
work.
Research (the Worklessness
Commission for example
) suggests that it
is necessary to work
with both the individuals
and the employers
to make a difference.
We are going to ask
older workers what
they need, ask employers
what they want and
then clarify, check,
recheck and create
the business case
for valuing and retaining
older workers.
We intend achieving
this by prototyping
a mix of tailored
interventions with
older workers and
their employers underpinned
by existing skills
assessment and age
management tools (with
a proven history of
success) and refining
and refocusing those
tools through employee
or employer users
as appropriate.
Past
Partnerships
Skills
for Jobs
York
College is partnering
with other organisations
in the City of York
to support and help
deliver the LSC's
Skills for Jobs agenda
which will support
people from disadvantaged
groups.
West
Yorkshire Investment
Plan: A Business Case
for Diversity
For
further information
visit the Business
Case for Diversity
website: http://www.businesscasefordiversity.com
Funded
By
Yorkshire
Forward
The
Learning and Skills
Council
Project
Partners
Leeds
Metropolitan University
University
of Leeds
Fair
Play Partnership
Northern
Leadership Academy
(NLA)
University
of Bradford
Follow
this link for
West Yorkshire Invest
Plan, A Business
Case For Diversity
leaflet.
York
College is leading
a £500,000 Equality & Diversity
project to encourage
universities and other
training providers
in West Yorkshire
to incorporate Equality & Diversity
materials in their
leadership and management
programmes.
The ‘Business
Case’ project,
funded by the Learning & Skills
Council and Yorkshire
Forward, demonstrates
the necessity for,
and importance of
Equality & Diversity
in the world of Business
and Management. The
project aims to encourage
those who are newly
qualified in, or entering,
the sector to incorporate
Equality & Diversity
in their working lives.
York
College’s Equality & Diversity
team are working alongside
The Fairplay Partnership,
Leeds Metropolitan
University, University
of Leeds, Bradford
University and the
Northern Leadership
Academy to deliver
the project. They
are producing courses
and training materials
to be included in
the leadership and
management programmes
currently being taught
in West Yorkshire.
Any providers in the
region who would like
information on the
project please contact
Julie Kitching on
01904 770309.
Julie
Kitching, Diversity
Development Advisor
at York College stated ‘We
are delighted to have
been awarded this
prestigious contract
and understand that
there is national
as well as regional
interest in the outcomes
of the project.’
Helen
Thomson, head of communities
at Yorkshire Forward
explains; “Our
region’s economy
is growing but with
such a diverse population
it will only continue
to do so if the talents
of every individual
are maximised. That
is why it is important
that our region’s
businesses understand
the benefits of embracing
equality and diversity
in their workforce
and I am confident
that this initiative
will help us to achieve
this.”
Previously
York College has successfully
delivered a range
of LSC funded equality
and diversity learning
provider and employer
projects supported
by a suite of E-quality
toolkits developed
by the college. Currently
a SMEs and Rurality
project is being delivered
across North Yorkshire
and Humber whereby
team leaders and managers
are being coached
in the business benefits
of equality and diversity
How
to Get the Best
Out of Your Staff:
Coaching for Rural
Small and Medium
Sized Enterprises
in North Yorkshire
and the Humber
Provided
one-to-one coaching
to SMEs based rurally
in Yorkshire and
Humberside in relevant
areas of Equality
and Diversity. Funded
by the LSC.
Regional
Race Equality Employment
Standards (REES)
training for Learning
Providers
Equality
and Diversity training
for Learning Providers
across Yorkshire
and the Humberside
covering the Race
Equality Employment
Standards (REES),
a code of practice
on racial equality
in employment which
took effect in April
2006. Funded by
the LSC. March 2007
to July 2007
Equality
and Diversity Management
Training Programme
for the Learning
Provider Network
Equality
and Diversity training
for Learning Providers
workshops: Disability
Equality Duty; Impact
Assessment; Newsletters;
Training Materials
Toolkit. Funded
by the LSC. March
2007 to March 2008
JIVE:
Females into Rail
Engineering in North
Yorkshire
Working
with employers and
schools to challenge
stereotyping and
assumptions. Funding
by ESF/UKRC. October
2006 to October
2007.
Equality
and Diversity Management
Training Programme
for the Learning
Provider Network
Equality
and Diversity training
for Learning Providers
workshops: Common
Inspection Framework;
E&D Self Assessment;
Embedding E&D
in Core Curriculum;
E&D legislation
and its implications
for learning providers.
Funded by the LSC.
September 2006 to
March 2007.
Minority
Ethnic Women Start-Ups
(MEWBS) Scarborough
Series
of six Business
Start Up seminars
delivered in the
Scarborough area
following the York
Seminar model. Funded
YNYCC Women in Enterprise.
April 2007 to December
2007.
Embedding
Equality and Diversity
in Learning in West
Yorkshire
Upskilling
employers in their
knowledge and understanding
of Equality and
Diversity and related
legislation. Funded
by the LSC. August
2006 to January
2008.
Black
and Minority Ethnic
Groups and Mental
Health
Explored
the access to learning
for Black and Minority
Ethnic Learners
(BMEs) with mental
health issues. Funded
by the LSC. June
2006 to December
2006.
Ethnic
Minority Student
Achievement Grant
(EMSAG)
Raise
the standards, participation
rates and achievement
of learners from
ethnic minority
groups in post-16
education. Liaise
with Connexions,
City of York Youth
Project, York Cultural
Diversity project
and local mosques.
Mentoring scheme
within BME community.
Funded by the LSC.
August 2006 to March
2007.
Equality
and Diversity Training
Programme for the
Voluntary Sector
- Roads to Regeneration:
Challenge Yourself
Training
workshops and toolkit
developed for NCFE
accredited E&D
Management training
programme which
aimed to raise awareness
of related legislation
on the voluntary
sector, develop
an understanding
of discrimination,
develop an understanding
of the impact of
attitudes and behaviours.
Funded by the LSC.
July 2006 to December
2007.
Learning
Providers Network
Series
of Equality and
Diversity workshops
for Learning Providers:
Disability Equality
Duty; DES Self Assessment;
New Common Inspection
Framework; Men,
Women, Different,
Equal. Funded by
the LSC. July 2006
to March 2007.
Minority
Ethnic Women Start-Ups
(MEWBS) - Craven
Project
Management of Worcnet's
delivery of the
Business Start Up
seminars in the
Craven area. Funded
by Craven District
Council. April 2007
to July 2007.
Minority
Ethnic Women Start-Ups
(MEWBS) - York
NCFE
accredited business
start up 10 week
programme for women.
Funded by YNYCC
Women in Enterprise.
Additional funding
by ABDN. October
2006 to January
2007.
Pilot
programme - a series
of six Business Start
Up seminars. Funded
by YNYCC Women in
Enterprise. March
2006 to July 2006.
Ethnic
Minority Student
Achievement Grant
(EMSAG)
Raise
the standards, participation
rates and achievement
of learners from
ethnic minority
groups in post-16
education. Supporting
Yorkshire Coast
College and Craven
College in engaging
with their local
ethnic minority
communities. Funded
by the LSC. August
2005 to March 2006.
Learning
Providers Network
Two
projects. The first
ran a series of
E&D workshops
for learning providers
in North Yorkshire
including HE, Voluntary
Sector and Learn
direct. LP Newsletters
produced. The second
ran a further series
of workshops in
the areas of Gender
Equality; the National
LSC Equality and
Diversity Strategy
for 2004-2007; and
Age Discrimination.
A diversity audit
was conducted. Funded
by the LSC. July
2005 - March 2006.
Extension
to SME Project
Research
project looking
at recruitment and
selection and workplace
harassment in the
light of the Minority
Ethnic Groups in
the Rural Labour
Market. Funded by
the LSC. January
to March 2005
Investors
in People (IiP)
Commitments
Engaging
with companies meeting
the Small Firms
Initiative (SFI)
criteria. Supporting
their Investors
in People commitment
via the Championing
Equality and Diversity
with SMEs project.
Funded by Business
Link. Two projects
that ran from February
to July 2004.
Championing
Equality and Social
Services
Programme
of training, seminars
and networkiing
for Social Services
Teams to support
employers in engaging
with employees with
physical and learning
disabilities. Funded
by the LSC. January
to March 2005.
Championing
Equality and Diversity
with Learning Providers
Series
of workshops for
providers covering
Race Relations;
Disability Discrimination
and SENDA: 'Overcoming
the Barriers' and
'Race Equality,
Your Issues, Your
Action'. Learning
provider review
visits. Produced
LP newsletters and
E&D booklets.
Funded by the LSC.
October 2004 to
March 2005.
Ethnic
Minority Student
Achievement Grant
(EMSAG)
Raise
the standards, participation
rates and achievement
of learners from
ethnic minority
groups in post-16
education. Funded
by the LSC. January
2004 to April 2005.
Championing
Equality and Diversity
with SMEs
Further
project to deliver
SME toolkits and
consultancy and
a range of related
short course training
workshops. Funded
by the LSC. May
2004 to March 2005.
Championing
Equality and Diversity
with SMEs through
the Gateway to Training
Project
York
College and the
LSC developed two
Equality and Diversity
toolkits, 'How to
get the best from
your staff' and
'A step by step
guide to training
your staff' for
SMEs through 6 hours
consultancy and
workshops. Funded
by the LSC. March
2003 to February
2004.
Championing
Equality and Diversity
with Training Providers
Building
on the success of
a previous project
to offer advice
and guidance on
self assessment
of E&D and action
planning to Learn
Direct, ACL, WBL
and FE subgroups
via E-Champions.
Funded by the LSC.
December 2003 to
July 2004.
'Creating
the Opportunity'
NTP
and York College
worked in partnership
to develop 'Creating
the Opportunity'
toolkit designed
to help organisations
reap the benefits
of a diverse workforce.
Commercial project.
July 2003 to December
2004.
Championing
Equality and Diversity
with Training Providers
Develop
learning materials
to raise awareness
of E&D and run
a series of workshops.
Funded by the LSC.
October 2002 to
July 2003.
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