Longford and Westmeath ETB shows commitment to diversity and inclusion

Delegates from Longford and Westmeath ETB attended the annual ETBI education conference in Carlow this week. This year’s conference ‘An Open Door to Excellence: Why Diversity Matters’ focused on equality, diversity and inclusion across the sector. 

The two-day conference brought together over 200 delegates to find solutions to make the ETB sector more inclusive and diverse and heard from ETB staff, learners and public figures from non-traditional backgrounds.

The line-up for the conference also featured contributions from:

• Lemn Sissay OBE is a poet playwright, memoirist performer and broadcaster.
• Dr. Shirley Davis, a seasoned HR, and Diversity & Inclusion global thought leader, a senior executive, a certified leadership coach, and a former Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer for several major Fortune 100 companies.
• Joanne Hession, Founder & CEO of LIFT Ireland (Leading Ireland’s Future Together).

Simon Harris TD, Minister for Further and Higher Education, Innovation and Science opened the conference on Wednesday, while Norma Foley TD, Minister for Education gave the official Ministerial conference address on Thursday.

Equality Diversity and Inclusion Survey

Results from a survey of the ETB workforce by the Education and Training Boards Ireland (ETBI), the were presented at the conference. The survey found that most staff and management are white, Irish, heterosexual, Catholic, and neurotypical with no physical disability while ETB learners are increasingly diverse.

Findings from the survey also indicated that over 90 per cent of ETB staff rate the promotion of EDI as ‘extremely important’.

The inaugural ETBI Diversity Survey is the first time that data on diversity in terms of ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability and religion amongst the ETB workforce has been collected. The survey also assessed the equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) practices in ETBs across the country.

Paddy Lavelle, General Secretary of ETBI, said: “If we are to make real progress in promoting diversity in the ETB sector and having staff teams that reflect and represent wider Irish society, it’s important that we look at ourselves and develop our understanding of where we are, and how far we have to go. This survey is an important first step on this journey. 

“Education and Training Boards want to provide inclusive education and training and it’s heartening to see that so many ETB staff in Longford and Westmeath ETB and ETBs across the country value equality, diversity and inclusion but we recognise that there is more to be done. Ireland is now a diverse country, and our ETB learners reflect that diversity, but our staff – like much of the education, public and civil service sectors – is not. We know that people working in education can be incredibly influential and be role models for the people with whom they work. We need to recognise the importance of diversity for those involved in education, training, and youth work. It is exemplified in targeting resources on those who need them and prioritising a culture of inclusion.”