Pride in Apprenticeships Campaign
The 1st June marked the beginning of Pride Month, where individuals from the LGBTQI+ community celebrate the acceptance of sexual diversity in a number of different ways. Various events are held during this special month, as a way of recognising the influence LGBTQI+ people have had around the world and this year the BAME Apprentice Network, in partnership with AELP and Amazing Apprenticeships, is launching #PrideInApprenticeships – a campaign to promote equality across the sector including learners and those working in FE.
The aim of the campaign is to highlight stories from individuals from diverse backgrounds about their experiences. To mark this month they will be sending out “A Simple Guide to Pride” and a special piece on “Why an intersectional approach on allyship matters”. They will also be running a special webinar to educate employers on how they can support people who identify as LGBTQI+, whether it be towards the language we use, or cultural sensitivity, we aim to empower all employers to make a difference.
Find out what we do at Aspire to support our LGBTQI+ colleagues, employers and learners…
At, Aspire Training Team, we have put a number of things into place to support our LGBTQI+ colleagues, employers and learners, an example of this would be the LGBTQI+ group that we have set up. This group provides an opportunity to express anything related to being LGBTQI+ at Aspire, and to set up an action plan, fully supported by the Directors, in order to ensure that our LGBTQI+ colleagues are fully welcomed into our family and that any blocks or concerns can be raised and addressed. The group also has a function to educate everyone, even those within the community so that working lives at least are a happy place to be for all.
Furthermore, we have recently been looking into the options available for transgender applicants when they undertake their DBS check if they do not want their previous name or identity to be disclosed on their DBS certificate. We found it very important to do this because it can cause many concerns for Tran’s applicants and may even stop them from applying for a training course or apprenticeship in childcare.
Through looking at the options, we found that they can undertake the Sensitive DBS Application route. This route gives them the choice not to have any gender or name information disclosed on their DBS certificate that could reveal their previous identity. If you would like to find out more about the Sensitive DBS Application click here.
It’s so important that we actively promote and support the LGTBQI+ community in the workplace environment and hopefully, in turn, we can even influence change in wider society.
