Cardiff and Vale College has been recognised as one of the best colleges in the UK for its work to promote fairness, respect, equality, diversity, inclusion and engagement across the communities it serves.
The College is a finalist in the Association of Colleges Beacon Awards in the National Centre for Diversity Award for Inclusive Leadership category. Widely known as the ‘College Oscars’, the prestigious Beacon Awards recognise Further Education institutions that go above and beyond in their service to learners and the wider community.
Serving one of the most diverse communities in Wales, CAVC is strongly committed to promoting diversity and inclusion. Last year, the College moved from 12th place to second in the National Centre for Diversity’s Top 100 Most Inclusive Workplaces Index and won College of the Year at the Centre’s Fairness, respect, Equality, Diversity, Inclusion and Engagement (FREDIE) Awards.
CAVC consistently collaborates with its stakeholders to ensure its strategic direction, policies and practices are designed to promote FREDIE. This partnership working has enabled the College to develop innovative and impactful projects and support structures to transform learning opportunities across the Capital Region.
Projects include working with Velindre Cancer Centre to launch the UK’s first Health and Cancer Awareness Resource for black, Asian and minority ethnic communities and its REACH+ central hub for English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) learners. REACH+ has proven so successful that it has been rolled out across Wales.
The College has also transformed an unused area of land in the heart of Butetown into Canal Park, a top-class multi-sports facility for the community. Its Families Learning Together programme offers a range of activity-based courses in the community designed to enable parents and carers to support their child’s learning while developing their own skills.
Staff training is also designed to increase awareness of FREDIE, and 99% of learners say they feel they are treated fairly and with respect. Success rates are strong across the College and there is no significant difference for any protected characteristic.
Cardiff and Vale College Principal Kay Martin said: “We are thrilled to be recognised as one of the top two in the country for our ongoing commitment to ensuring all the communities the College serves feel respected and included.
“As the College which operates in one of the most diverse and vibrant communities in Wales, we are hugely proud of this result. It means a lot to us because we believe ourselves to be at the heart of the communities we serve and that all students and staff are part of the CAVC Family.
“This is a testament to the people right across the College who work so hard to ensure that CAVC takes an ell-encompassing approach to managing equality, diversion and inclusion across all we do and I’d like to thank them all for that.”
The winners of the AoC Beacon Awards will be announced in early 2022.