Equity, Diversity and Inclusion at ABC Training College - Case Study Example

Equity, Diversity and Inclusion at ABC Training College Name Institution Table of Contents Table of Contents 2 Introduction 3 Organisation 3 Theory and practice 4 Inclusion 4 Equity 5 Diversity 5 Mission statement 6 Conclusion 9 References 10 Introduction Commitment to the concepts equity, diversity, and inclusion is central to academic excellence, building of healthy communities, as well as improving the quality of life at institutions of higher learning and the wider community (Shen et al., 2009; Harris et al., 2015).This essay addresses the opportunity to develop an equity, diversity, and inclusion mission statement for a perspective employer. As a result, the author has selected that of ABC training college, a registered training organisation and independent secondary school that offer a broad selection of services that specialises in trades training across senior secondary phases of education, and apprenticeship programs. The college has been at the forefront of promoting equity, diversity, and inclusion in its mission statement, and these have in turn had significant impacts in ensuring academic excellence. Organisation ABC Training College is a centre of excellence in terms of delivering vocational education and training (VET). The college was originally established as a VET provider to deliver vocational training to school-age students. The aim was to engage learners in school based apprenticeship to overcome Australia’s recognized skill shortages, particularly in the blue-collar trade areas. Over time, ABC Training College established a reputation for excellence in vocational training. Over the years, the increased diversity of the students and teachers at the institution calls for a need to examine the extent to which equity, diversity and inclusion are reflected in the college’s mission statement. Theory and practice According to Flurry (1999), human diversity and accessibility to a variety of criteria against which equal opportunities are realised are integral to the realisation of equality and inclusion. Ruggs and Hebl (2012) also contended that higher education should guide students into thinking that their prospects of employment and work should be led by prejudice and bias, and to prevent them from finding discussions of discrimination and inequality to be extraneous to their career plans. At ABC Training College, much of such optimism is not misguided. Given its long record of advancement towards equality, diversity, and inclusion at the college, it is associated with having prevented many forms of discrimination, inequality, and exclusion across its policies, programmes, and activities. The concepts of equality, diversity, and inclusion have demanded that ABC Training College develops forceful and sophisticated means to realising their application across the teachers, student body, and the external stakeholders. The concepts of ‘equality, diversity and inclusion’ add a unique dimension to the realisation of effective relations of power at the organisation (Bauman et al. 2005). Although the concept of ‘equality’ encourages a comparative analysis of the relations of power in organisations, the concept of diversity’ points to the multiple strands of differences and uniqueness and the concept of ‘inclusion’ provides a strategic dimension to analysis of the interventions to ensuring effective power relations. In spite of the differences in their meanings, the concepts of equality, diversity and inclusion are collectively applied in interrelated ways to reflect their relationship at theorisation and practice levels (Ozbilgin, 2009). Inclusion Inclusion, according to Nair and Vohra (2015), denotes working jointly to build a welcoming environment by encouraging interpersonal interactions that respect and affirm the inherent dignity, value, and uniqueness of all individuals and communities. Ezbilgin (2009) describes inclusion as an dynamic process of developing a community that allow members full access to resources that assist them to achieve intellectual, economic and social growth and development. Inclusive activities denote an awareness of the complex identities and the increased interconnectedness of the world. Equity Gause (2011) describes equity as a process of making sure that individuals have to accept to equal opportunities in everything they do. According to Ezbilgin, 2009), equity demands that the entire members of a community realise fairness of practices and standards. As a result, an equitable learning environment would provide fair access to all policies, privileges, resources, and rights. Within the context of education, equity refers to the principle of fairness where each individual is treated fairly. It covers identification of unfairness and bias that may contribute to limitations for individuals to fully participate in the education services that ABC Training College provides. Bias may come in many different forms as encouraged by any current, and or historical factors that contribute to learners’ level of inconvenience or alienation (Ruggs & Hebl, 2012). Diversity Diversity denotes a realization of uniqueness of human difference. According to Milem et al. (2005), diversity is a dynamic concept that encourages consideration of the unique qualities of individuals within a specific setting. An organisation that seeks to realise diversity would strive to develop and sustain an environment where diverse groups of people, cultures, and ideas thrive and encourage creativity (Nair & Vohra, 2015). Students in the Australian educational system are becoming gradually more diverse. In education, diversity includes a scenario where students from differing genders, ethnicities, social, and economic backgrounds are embraced in an educational system. Diversity exists in all aspects of life including the education sector. Indeed, within the context of education system, diversity presents a significant challenge, particularly as current regulations require that organisations have to integrate diversity policies to encourage fairness and inclusion in their programmes and policies (Ruggs & Hebl, 2012). Education institutions and the systematic processes for which many are historically driven by often equates to variations in the ways in which learners see them as being fair. Learners can experience this first hand, often in a very personal nature based on a number of contributing factors for which they may identify with, some of these are: The challenge of learning difficulties, or learning styles that do not reflect their need Being recent immigrants or ESL learners Their academic goals do not align with the ‘norm’ or the external perception Suffering from a disability, both physical and or intellectual Identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait islander heritage Sex, male or female From a low socio economic background without sound support to identify or achieve goals. At any rate, the ABC Training College values equity, diversity, and inclusiveness across its operations in respect of individual’s rights. Essentially, an organisation that practices equal representation of the importance of these disciplines is well positioned to increase learners and employees’ engagement in order to attain better educational outcomes (Gause, 2011). Mission statement To reflect its core values, the college is dedicated to promoting equitable access to learning and the college’s programmes and activities and encouraging the inclusion of each individual. The ABC Training College exhibits the commitment in its hiring and educational practices, its unwavering efforts to promote and support diverse leadership, in addition to its operation of programs that promote opportunity and access for the diverse students and teachers. The college is also committed to equity and inclusion in its programs, policies, relationships, and its attempts to create, sustain and encourage a culture of diversity. Equity, diversity, and inclusion are integral to the mission of the ABC Training College, as evident in its Core Values. Having acknowledged the relevance of equality, diversity, and inclusion to the domains of economic, political and social life and learning, ABC Training College applies a multitude of complex ways to practise and theorize and equality, diversity, and inclusion at the college through its Core Values. The college’s obligation to ensuring diversity is expressed in its mission statement in terms of core values: “ABC Training College verifies that diversity is central to building an integrated society, diversity enhances the learning experience, and diversity ensures respect for all and encourages a celebration of the differences among the college’s stakeholders.” The college acknowledges each individual’s unique qualities and, therefore, encourages diverse values, backgrounds, and perspectives to promote a consistently inclusive community, as well as to prepare students for the realities of increasingly multicultural workplaces once they leave the institution. ABC Training College also acknowledges that the finest quality of education has to occur in a college made up of students, teachers, and stakeholders from diverse social and economic backgrounds, races, gender, cultures, and religious groups. The ABC Training College has a greater public purpose of recruiting, educating, and graduating students who have historically experienced under-representation in independent schools. The idea is that a diverse school community is independently sufficient. Although the intent of diversity and community has often been an integral component of the college’s mission, the institution seeks to develop a commitment of students, teachers and general stakeholders by making efforts to build a justly inclusive school, which sees to it that adults and students feel welcomed to engage with the institution, as well as feel that their values, experiences and needs are supported by the institution. It is believed that the rationale for ensuring inclusion is a task held by everyone, as well as for the benefit of all (Bauman et al. 2005). The ABC Training College is determined to provide each student equal opportunities to take part and succeed in the curricular and co-curricular endeavours. The college has given meaning to the mission of Equity, diversity, and inclusion by promoting and placing emphasis on: i) Equity in accessing the college’s programs and activities: The ABC Training College implements programs and activities designed to offer equitable access and ensure that all students prosper in their academic, athletic, emotional, and social endeavours. ii) Inclusive training: The ABC Training College, on a regular basis, examines and reviews its teaching and curriculum practices in order to make sure that the college effectively reaches all students. The college has trained its teachers to identify with and to appreciate the variety of learning needs and styles among the learners, and to polish their skills in creating and maintaining inclusive settings in classroom. iii) Personal understanding, expressions, and practices: The ABC Training College seeks to assert the each individual’s unique qualities and as a result gives importance to each person’s unique experiences, practices, and expressions. The college is dedicated to showing each member or stakeholder of the institution that it understands the manner in which cultural, historic, and personal elements of identity encourage and enhance the college’s community (Urban School, n.d.). iv). Encouraging reflections and explorations of self: The ABC Training College teaches each individual member of the institution how to explore into their cultural perspectives and values and to adjust them only when necessary. The college is dedicated to exploring the unique organisational and institution culture of the college in the hope that this would promote an improve understanding of the students’ experiences in addition to the experiences of teachers from diverse backgrounds. v). Promoting consequential communication and interaction: The ABC Training College challenges each individual member of the institution to interact and communicate in a meaningful manner with whole school community as well as to promote learning from one each one, honour each one’s personal differences and simultaneously embrace shared values. The college seeks to present a safe environment that encourages each one to freely express his or her differences in a manner that promotes learning and dialogue instead of perpetuating conflicts of any kind. By encouraging cultural inquiry and appreciation, the college ensures that each member of the institution gets to learn from a diverse variety of perspectives and experiences (Urban School, n.d.). vi). Promoting community participation: The ABC Training College applies the abovementioned practices to promote a realization of social justice and ethical citizenship. The college, therefore, teaches and encourages students and teachers to be responsible towards and to engage in the college, the greater community, and the global environment. Conclusion Essentially, ABC Training College is steadfast in its search of the realisation of equity, inclusion, and diversity concepts. The concepts are reflected in its core values, which are dedicated to promoting equitable access to learning and the college’s programmes and activities and encouraging the inclusion of each individual. The College exhibits the commitment in its hiring and educational practices, its unwavering efforts to promote and support diverse leadership, in addition to its operation of programs that promote opportunity and access for the diverse students and teachers. Commitment to these concepts is central to the college’s academic excellence, building healthy communities, as well as improving the quality of life at the college and the wider community. References Bauman, G., Bustollos, L., Bensimon, E., Brown, C. & Bartee, R. (2005). Achieving equitable educational outcomes with all students: The institution’s roles and responsibilities. Association American Colleges and Universities. Retrieved: < http://www.aacu.org/sites/default/files/files/mei/bauman_et_al.pdf> Ezbilgin, M. (2009). Equality, diversity, and inclusion at work: a research companion. New York: Edward Elgar Publishing Flurry, M. (1999). The management of culture diversity: lessons from Brazilian companies. Industrial Management & Data Systems, 99(3), 109–114 Gause, C. (2011). Diversity, equity, and inclusive education: A voice from the margins. Rotterdam: Sense Publishers Harris, J., Barone, R. & Davis, L. (2015). Who Benefits? A Critical Race Analysis of the (D)Evolving Language Of Inclusion in Higher Education. Thought & Action, 31(2), 21-28 Milem, J., Chang, M. & Antonio, A. (2005). Making Diversity Work on Campus: A Research-Based Perspective. Association American Colleges and Universities. Retrieved: Nair, N. & Vohra, N. (2015). Diversity and inclusion at the workplace: a review of research and perspectives. Ahmedabad: Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad Ozbilgin, M. (2009). Equality, diversity and inclusion at work: A research companion. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar Publishing Limited Ruggs, E. & Hebl, M. (2012). Diversity, inclusion, and cultural awareness for classroom and outreach education. In B. Bogue & E. Cady (Eds.). Apply Research to Practice (ARP) Resources. Retrieved: Shen, J., Chanda, A., Netto, B. & Monga, M. (2009). Managing diversity through human resource management: an international perspective and conceptual framework. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 20(2), 235–251 Urban School, The. (n.d.). Statement on diversity, inclusion and equity. Retrieved: Read More