Equality & Diversity
In an increasingly competitive global market, many employers are now recognising the business advantages of attracting the talent and experience of a diverse workforce. Diversity policies recognise that some individuals and groups may need different treatment to secure an equal outcome.
These pages aim to provide helpful specialist advice, information and support to enable you to take your own personal situation into account in making informed choices on employment issues. Follow the links below and on the left-hand side for more specific information.
Do you have a learning difference or a disability?
Are you in receipt of DSA /registered with Student Support Services?
Then Aber+ can help you! Aber+ is a joint venture between the Careers Service and Student Support Services offering a series of bespoke events and workshops to help you identify and realise your career goals.
Aber+ sessions that have been recorded:
Disclosure and Adjustments: Your rights
Applying for graduate schemes or placements when you have a disability
Presentation skills: How to give an effective presentation
Finding Positive Employers
Employers are beginning to appreciate the benefits of having a diverse workforce and businesses realise that a workforce is more successful if it reflects the community it serves.
When you are seeking employment, one way to overcome discrimination in the recruitment process as well as the workplace is to target employers with equal opportunities policies.
By actively targeting companies who indicate they wish to recruit talented individuals, regardless of their background, you will ensure that you get a fair chance to promote your skills and qualities. There are a number of ways to identify these employers:
- Does the company state that it is an equal opportunities employer?
- Do they have an equal opportunities policy or statement that appears in their recruitment brochures or on their website?
- Do they have members of staff from different religions?
- Do they have ethnic minority members of staff?
- Does the equal opportunities policy refer to sexual orientation?
- Do they have a mental health policy?
- Is a diversity officer in post?
- Is there a female employees network; an LGBT employees network etc?
- Are there procedures in place in the event of harassment?
It is also worth doing some research into the proportion of females in senior positions in an organisation. This can provide useful information.
Ensure that you are well informed about the pay gap and know your rights to bargain about pay. Research has shown that male colleagues may be better at bargaining at this point.
Make sure you are fully aware of the equality legislation.
Students from diverse backgrounds may be the first people in their families to go to university and also the first to try to find a graduate job. This can be a disadvantage, as the networks and experience of graduate jobs enjoyed by young people from traditional backgrounds are often lacking.
Please book a confidential appointment with a careers consultant if you are concerned about disclosing a disability to employers or would like to discuss issues related to diversity and employment.