One step closer towards living in a world where everyone can bring their true self to work.
This has been the vision of Skills 4 since the foundation of the company in 2006. Jayne Little, CEO of Skills 4 founded the company in response to the issues identified by the UK Government report, “Shaping a Fairer Future.”
“I am passionate about giving everyone the opportunity to take their true selves to work,” said Jayne. “To do this there needed to be a step-change in the approach to equality, diversity and inclusion in so many sectors and workplaces so I set up Skills 4 to help employers meet their objectives while empowering employees to progress their careers.”
Since 2006, Skills 4 has worked with over 150 companies and trained over 10,000 delegates, all with the aim of empowering women and under-represented groups by giving them the confidence and skills to progress their careers in the Engineering Industry.
Supporting Catapult’s Inclusivity in Innovation Charter, which is a vision for diverse and inclusive workplaces in innovation, aligns with our vision here at Skills 4. We believe that equal treatment of all, with dignity and respect, and their fair share of resources (access to work, progression, or pay) is simply the right thing to do.
“There is a growing body of evidence which shows inclusive workplaces are happier, more innovative and more productive,” said Jayne. “It widens the talent pool, increases retention rates and removes barriers to career progression, benefiting both the individual employee and their employer. An inclusive culture allows a workplace to thrive.”
Diversity in the Engineering Sector is a key aspect of having a successful team and a successful business. When we have diverse teams (gender, ethnicity, age, abilities, origins etc.) with individual embodied experiences, together they can create a wealth of skills, knowledge, and potential in the workplace. Leading employees to feel more motivated, which creates a richer employee experience, a sense of belonging, and stronger team unity.
Read our blog on What is Diversity?
Our award-winning programmes include our Moving the Dial survey, a dive into organisational culture which analyses organisational barriers identified by employees with benchmarking against other STEM companies. All of which provides first hand insights to work towards creating more inclusive workplaces where all employees feel psychologically safe to contribute fully.
“You only need to read the comments of our delegates or watch the videos on our website to see how transformative training can be,” said Jayne. “We are so proud at how many delegates go on to be promoted soon after completing our programmes.”
At Skills 4, we are delighted to be a part of the Catapult Network and joining other businesses in supporting the Inclusivity in Innovation Charter and working towards a world where everyone brings their true self to work.
About the Catapult Network:
Catapult supports businesses in transforming great ideas into valuable products and services. We are a network of world-leading technology and innovation centres established by Innovate UK. We deliver impact across the UK economy, enabling businesses to thrive in global markets.
Photo by 愚木混株 cdd20 on Unsplash
