National College of Ireland is proud to announce another EDI achievement this June: an Investors in Diversity Bronze award, accredited by the Irish Centre for Diversity.
This award recognises NCI’s dedication and commitment to developing and maintaining an inclusive, supportive culture and diverse workforce, and is a testament to the excellent work of our HR and EDI department.
In order to achieve this accreditation, NCI evidenced that appropriate HR and EDI policies have been put in place – and also clearly communicated to staff – and that senior leaders have undertaken EDI training.
Over the last year the HR and EDI team has reviewed the college’s extensive policy infrastructure, and procured, developed, and delivered training on a wide range of HR and EDI related areas, strengthening understanding of critical equality and diversity issues across the institution.
In the last 18 months, senior leaders attended unconscious bias, inclusive recruitment, and inclusive leadership training provided by the Irish Centre for Diversity. Staff has attended a wide range of training courses including: Understanding Autism in higher education; Safe Talk; Irish Sign Language; Dyslexia training; Intercultural Awareness & Communication; Transgender & Gender Identity; Disability in the Workplace; and Mental Health and Wellbeing.
Laura O’Donovan Calvert, Director of Business Development at the Irish Centre for Diversity commented: “Investors in Diversity Bronze affirms that the National College of Ireland has built a strong foundation to embed D&I in everything it does and is equipped for the journey of becoming more equitable and inclusive. We look forward to supporting them as they continue on their path of progress.”
Deirdre McCarthy, EDI & Training Manager at NCI said: “We will not rest on our laurels: this is a work in progress. Developing and supporting an inclusive and supportive culture takes constant work and vigilance. We shall continue to develop our HR and EDI policies and initiatives, with a gender identity, menopause, fertility, and hybrid working policies all to be finalised in the coming months.”
The Irish Centre for Diversity offers Ireland’s only Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) mark for Irish businesses. Supported by Ibec, the EDI Mark, enables businesses to be known as ‘Investors in Diversity’, providing them with a framework for success over three levels – Bronze, Silver and Gold. So whether your organisation is starting the EDI journey, or is more well established in its path, it enables you to measure, improve and recognise efforts to foster equality, diversity and inclusion in your organisation.
For further information on NCI’s commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, see our EDI section.