Social Inclusion Assurance
The University of Warwick wishes to ensure that all of our employer events inspire and support our students to develop their self-confidence and agency. By way of context;
- 48% identify as Female
- 46% are Black, Asian and Mixed Ethnic
- 12% have declared a disability
- 24% are first in their family to attend university
- 69% are from state school
Our panels should represent the lived experiences of our student population as much as possible; research shows that all of us tend to respond best to those who are like us in some way (in terms of ethnicity, personality traits, background, gender etc.) We recognise that we have agency to make these positive changes.
We commit to supporting the employers with whom we work to help them deepen their inclusive practices and celebrate the great work that is already being done. We also recognise that there are specific student cohorts at Warwick who find it harder to find work.
We commit to increasing representation in Employer Engagement events by;
1. Diversity on Alumni panels
- When booking alumni speakers, staff will use an Alumni Speaker Agreement Form. This form asks speakers to provide demographic data (which will be used to monitor our annual targets) but does not ask questions about company policies.
- We will monitor the data generated by our speakers relating to ethnic representation, gender, sexual orientation, and disability.
- Employers will be encouraged to provide information on how social justice issues are being addressed within their workplace to share with students ahead of events.
2. Inclusion panels
Supported by the wider department of Student Opportunity, Employer Connect will deliver a suite of events entitled “Inclusive Futures”. Delivered throughout the year, these events will focus on the career paths of people from key underrepresented social groups, initially addressing the following themes:
- Disability
- Gender & Sexuality
- Black, Asian & Minority Ethnic
These events are designed to be a forum for students to build confidence, networks and understand how to be authentic in a work environment.
The lessons learned and advice given from these sessions can also be used to inform Careers Consultants working with students in a one-to-one session, and to inform employers when advising them on how to create an inclusive working environment.