Cardiff and Vale College steps up to 2nd place in prestigious diversity index and is awarded FE Provider of the Year
Cardiff and Vale College has moved from 3rd to 2nd in the National Centre for Diversity’s prestigious Top 100 Inclusive Employers Index 2024, and has received the Centre’s Award for Further Education (FE) Provider of the Year.
The achievements reflect the work being done across the College to embed Fairness, Respect, Equality, Diversity, Inclusion and Engagement (FREDIE). The College is the only Welsh Further Education (FE) institution in the Top 10.
The College’s work to promote and foster good relations among all protected characteristics has been described by the National Centre for Diversity as exemplary. It includes FREDIE-related activities across CAVC for learners and staff, the tutorial and training, including the College holding Community Iftars to mark the last week of Ramadan, staff and student activities at PRIDE, and lived experience training for anti-racism and transphobia.
In its most recent re-accreditation report for the College’s Leaders in Diversity status, the Centre noted that CAVC continues to be a beacon of good practice, carrying out outstanding work while always striving to do more.
An assessor noted that it was “inspiring to speak with the team at Cardiff and Vale College. Their commitment and enthusiasm to ensure that highest standard of provision is made for learners and a positive and supportive work environment where are colleagues are supported to develop and thrive remains undimmed”.
CAVC has also been working with the Welsh Government, leading on a project to develop of anti-racist curriculum modules in the FE sector. The curriculum is in the form of a metaverse, providing an accessible and immersive learning experience developed and produced in collaboration with minority ethnic experts from schools, colleges, universities and third parties.
Cardiff and Vale College represents one of the most vibrant and diverse communities in Wales. It is also the largest provider of English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) course in Wales, making it well placed to reach out to Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic communities across the Capital Region and beyond.
CAVC Group Chief Executive Mike James is Chair of the Colleges Wales Equality and Diversity Group and in 2022 the College became the first college in Wales to become affiliated with the Black Leadership Group.
In 2022 CAVC also won an Association of Colleges (AoC) UK-wide Beacon Award for its innovative work to embrace equality and inclusion, and a WorldSkills UK Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Ambassador Award.
ESOL Cancer Awareness, a partnership between CAVC and Velindre Cancer Centre, was the UK’s first Health and Cancer Awareness resource for Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic communities when it launched in 2018.
Solat Chaudhry, Chief Executive at the National Centre for Diversity said: “I send my warmest congratulations to Cardiff and Vale College on successfully reaching number 2 in the Top 100 Most Inclusive UK Employers Index 2024.
“The inspiring organisations that make the Top 100 demonstrate excellent levels of employee retention and recruitment and clearly demonstrate how they value and respect the people that work for them.
“What better than to be recognised by peers and those travelling in the same direction towards the common goal of Fairness in the workplace. It is hugely motivational.”
Cardiff and Vale College Principal Sharon James-Evans said: “We are absolutely delighted to have moved to second place in the National Centre for Diversity’s prestigious Top 100 Most Inclusive Employers Index. And to be awarded FE Provider of the Year is something to be extremely proud of.
“As the College that serves 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.”
