Helping to increase diversity & inclusion at WorldSkills
WorldSkills UK is a partnership between businesses, education institutions and governments, to accelerate young people’s careers and break down barriers to unemployment.
Team:
Fancy Sinantha
Marion Brossard
Tyler Fox
Keisha Simms
Further Reading:
WorldSkills UK commissioned TSIP to undertake a review of diversity and inclusion across its Skills Competitions Programme. These competition programmes assess apprentices’ and students’ practical skills, knowledge and employability attributes in competitive timed conditions and aims to help young people go further, faster in their training and careers. This review of diversity and inclusion was to be used to inform WorldSkills’ strategy and practice around its national and global leadership on skills.
Despite its importance, progress on diversity, equity, and inclusion, and social mobility more broadly, is still slow. It is often acknowledged and given ‘tick box’ responses but ignored when it comes to long-term culture. WorldSkills UK recognises its vital role in nurturing the development and skills of young people. As one of the leading organisations supporting and developing the UK’s current and future talent pool, WorldSkills UK is ambitious about holding itself and its partners to account on diversity and inclusion, and social mobility more broadly.
To start on this journey, we started with an analysis of over 3,000 registrants’ data and listening to the voices and experiences of 700 key stakeholders. These included competitors, Skills Champions, teachers/trainers, Principals, employers, Competition Organising Partners, Judges, Training Managers, and Performance Coaches. We also delivered key insights from four literature reviews which looked at:
representation and diversity in further education and apprenticeships;
gender, competition and participation;
the impact of role models on attainment and participation,
unconscious bias and discrimination
The key insights from this research and proposed recommendations were published in the report: Championing difference for a better workforce: Increasing diversity and inclusion in the WorldSkills UK Competitions.
WorldSkills UK aims to use the research to inform, influence and drive positive change in its Skills Competitions programme. As WorldSkills UK Chief Executive Dr Neil Bentley-Gockmann OBE outlines in this blog, and in a TES article, they are serious about acting for positive change and are taking the first steps in what is a long journey.
“I very much welcome the findings and recommendations from the comprehensive and ambitious report by TSIP– as a careers and skills development network with a global reach, as a convening platform for partners across the skill sector and as an employer. We are determined to make changes at WorldSkills UK and I hope those in the sector will commit to joining us, so together we can help more and more young people succeed.” - WorldSkills UK Chief Executive Dr Neil Bentley-Gockmann OBE
“For some time, I have been curious as to why employees and organisations struggle with securing greater inclusivity and diversity in their workforce. Not least, when it is widely recognised that the greater the diversity the more successful the organisation. I am delighted that Worldskills UK has taken the brave decision to draw a line in the sand and commission this report to show its intent. For competitors, apprentices, assessors and all involved in the skills competitions. Congratulations to all concerned for these ambitious recommendations which I hope are taken seriously and acted on with immediate effect.” - Jason Holt, Chair Apprenticeship Ambassador Network (AAN) & Worldskills UK D&I research advisory group member.
