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Equality, diversity, and inclusion
No-one left behind; embracing diversity and inclusion
At NCFE, we’re committed to fostering an environment of equality, diversity, and inclusion. Every individual, regardless of their background, identity, or circumstance, deserves respect, opportunity, and a voice.
The Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Committee has been established to actively promote diversity in all its forms and strive to create a culture where everyone feels valued, supported, and empowered to succeed.
Objectives
The EDI Committee works to identify barriers to diversity and inclusion and develop strategies to address them. It aims to cultivate a vibrant community that celebrates differences, embraces perspectives, and represents our community of learners.
Its scope encompasses all aspects of NCFE’s culture, policies, practices, and procedures, from recruitment and development to employee and community engagement. The Committee’s objectives are to:
- promote awareness and understanding of EDI principles and issues throughout NCFE, the awarding sector, and our diverse learner communities
- identify and address systemic barriers to equality, diversity, and inclusion within NCFE policies, practices, and culture
- develop and implement initiatives that enhance diversity, equity, and inclusion in recruitment, retention, and advancement practices
- provide support and resources for employee-led affinity groups and initiatives that promote diversity and inclusion
- monitor and evaluate progress towards EDI goals and objectives and recommend adjustments to strategies and actions as necessary
- serve as a resource for employees seeking guidance or support related to equality, diversity, and inclusion matters.
Meet our EDI Committee
Our committee is made up of colleagues across the business representing a range of perspectives and lived experience. Each committee member has a vested interest in driving EDI forward at NCFE, and bring their own special interest and expertise to the group. Find out more about the committee below, and what drew them to volunteer to be a member.
Meet the Committee
Allison Jones, Head of PMO, Chair of the EDI Committee
Creating an inclusive and equitable environment for all is not only a professional focus for me but a personal commitment to create spaces where everyone feels valued and empowered to contribute. By advocating for EDI, I strive to build a more equitable society where all voices are heard, and opportunities are accessible to everyone, regardless of their background.
Joanne Thompson, Qualifications Development Manager
Why I wanted to be part of the committee: I wanted to be part of this committee as equality is at the heart of everything I do. I have an autistic daughter with a physical disability and the impact our broken education system and society has on children like her makes me want to work harder to raise awareness, in the hope that one day we will see the equity they deserve. I also have a background in deafness and working with deaf people, I’ve seen first-hand how it is society that disables them, not their deafness. The world needs to change and raising awareness is the first step.
Jenni Chismond, Talent Resourcer
Why I wanted to be part of the committee: I was eager to be a part of the committee as I’m passionate about creating an environment where our colleagues feel heard about the issues that are important to them, removing any barriers to ensure everyone is treated fairly and feels a sense of inclusion.
Holly Ferdinando, People Product Manager
Why I wanted to be part of the committee: I joined the EDI committee as through my role in People Services, I lead on all things Colleague Experience. A key part of this is ensuring that all colleagues, regardless of their backgrounds, are treated with respect and feel able to bring their whole self to work.
Elliot McGrath, PR and Communications Manager
Why I wanted to be part of the committee: I've always had an interest in ED&I and over the last few years have become more involved with it from both a personal and professional perspective. I'm passionate about using my privileged position as a heterosexual white male to advocate for others and help change society to become more equitable.
Jodie Wade, Resource Manager
Why I wanted to be part of the committee: I wanted to be part of the EDI committee to help make NCFE a more diverse and inclusive environment for colleagues right across the business. I'm particularly interested in social mobility and ensuring diversity and equal opportunities across different socioeconomic backgrounds, but firmly believe that this overlaps with so many other areas of EDI, such as race, religion and gender.
Katie Newton, Senior People Product Manager
Why I wanted to be part of the committee: I’m passionate about helping create a culture of inclusivity at NCFE where everyone can bring their whole, unique self to work. In my role of leading the Talent and People Product teams, I’m excited to be able to support with elevating our Employer Value Proposition (EVP) and enhancing the colleague experience in making NCFE a supportive, safe place to work where everyone has the opportunity to be heard and valued.
Ashleigh Lamb, People Business Partner
Why I wanted to be part of the committee: To be a part of a purpose which ensures that inclusivity promotes equality, which leverages diversity to its full potential so that every colleague at NCFE has a sense of belonging.
Our other members
Sakina Khan – Innovation Project Manager
Nicky Anderson – Customer Support Team Leader
Rachel Cooke – Independent End Point Assessor
Aaron McCarthy – Contract & Supplier Relationship Manager
Ola Fadeyi – Data Engineering Manager
Jeff Davies – Customer Support Advisor
Creating an inclusive and equitable environment for all is not only a professional focus for me but a personal commitment. By advocating for EDI, I strive to build a more equitable society where all voices are heard, and opportunities are accessible to everyone, regardless of their background.
Disability Confident
NCFE is committed to attracting, recruiting and retaining a diverse range of talent. One of the ways that we commit to doing this is through our status as a Disability Confident Employer, which helps us to recruit disabled people who will help our business to succeed.
We therefore ensure that for all employed vacancies, any applicant applying through our website who declares that they have a disability and meets the essential criteria for the role will be offered an interview. These standards are defined in our job descriptions as essential skills/experience. We hope this will encourage disabled people to apply for jobs with NCFE and provide them with the opportunity to demonstrate their skills, talent and abilities at interview stage.
We also ensure that all hiring managers involved in the interview process understand our commitment as a Disability Confident Employer, and that we always offer to make reasonable adjustments.
Pay and Reward Policy
Download an extract of the Pay and Reward Policy, which sets out NCFE’s approach to pay and reward for Senior Leaders. NCFE is committed to ensuring that colleagues are rewarded fairly and equitably for their work and that any reward systems are transparent and consistent.
NCFE Gender Pay Gap Report 2023-24
All UK companies with 250 or more employees are required by law to produce an annual gender pay gap report. This requirement is set out under the Equality Act 2010 (Gender Pay Gap Information) Regulations, with a snapshot of data being taken on 5 April each year.
Our Level 2 in Equality and Diversity qualification
This qualification is suitable for both young and adult learners, including those in or seeking employment. It's also ideal for those who need to develop an awareness of issues surrounding equality and diversity, for example as part of an induction programme or personal development.