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Product category: Engineering Industry Developments and Awards
News Release from: UK Resource Centre for Women in SET
Edited by the Engineeringtalk Editorial Team on 18 September 2006

Award to recognise diversity and
inclusion

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The Institution of Mechanical Engineers MX Awards 2007 will include the UKRC Award for Diversity and Inclusion.

The Institution of Mechanical Engineers MX Awards 2007 will include the UKRC Award for Diversity and Inclusion The UKRC is a key partner of MX and the UKRC Award for Diversity and Inclusion assesses employers' practices on equality and diversity, with a specific focus on disciplines in which women are currently under-represented

Evidence the assessors and judges will look for includes not only policies but effective working practices that address issues such as workforce monitoring, female-friendly recruitment and selection, diversity training, equal pay, women's networks, mentoring and returner schemes, work-life balance, organisational culture etc Previously known as the UKRC Award for Equality, the title has this year been changed to more closely reflect the wider issues around equality, diversity and inclusion in the workplace.

The IMechE has also this year introduced a new mentoring scheme as part of the awards process.

All organisations who register their interest in entering for the UKRC award will be assigned an expert mentor who will provide specialist advice and guidance on completing the self assessment form and help with identifying the types of practices which can be submitted.

The MX 2006 Awards were held at The Royal Lancaster Hotel in London on 29th June and, sadly, for the second year running, the judges were unable to give an award for the Equality category.

Annette Williams, Director of the UKRC indicated: "During the 2006 assessment and site visits, it became evident that a number of organisations have excellent people practices and are proactively developing relationships and links that encourage girls and women to take an interest in engineering careers, but they had, regrettably, not made the link between those activities and equality and diversity".

"We hope that the introduction of mentors this year will help employers really start to identify and showcase their existing good practice in addressing some of the barriers faced by women and other minority groups in this industry".

Entry forms for MX 2007 are now being accepted and the race is on to find the first Diversity Award winner.

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