Imperial talent programme shortlisted for race equality awards

Members of the 2015 IMPACT cohort with staff from the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Centre

Imperial has been recognised for its commitment to increasing black, Asian and minority ethnic representation in the workplace.

The College has been named as a finalist at the Business in the Community Race Equality Awards 2016 for IMPACT, its talent development programme for black, Asian and minority ethnic staff. IMPACT is a four-month programme which includes specialised workshops and project work, as well as access to mentoring and networking opportunities.

Imperial is a finalist in the Developing Talent Award category. This category recognises organisations that have developed initiatives to help their black, Asian and minority ethnic workforce prepare to develop and progress by recognising, rewarding and developing diverse talent, resulting in an increased retention of in-house talent. The award winners will be announced at an event in October.

The IMPACT programme was developed in-house by the College’s Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Centre. It aims to enable black, Asian and minority ethnic staff from diverse backgrounds to understand how cultural difference can be positively leveraged in the workplace, supporting them to advance their careers.

Hafiza Bibi is now a Research Coordinator in the Department of Materials, managing three different research centres including a Centre for Doctoral Training. She took part in the IMPACT programme in 2014, when she was a Research Operations Administrator in the Department of Life Sciences. Hafiza said: “The programme really helped me to be more assertive, and to increase my confidence in different areas, like giving presentations. The individual sessions with my mentor in particular meant that I had support to think through where I wanted to go in my career. Most importantly, the programme helped me to get my current role – the programme finished in October, and I got the new job in November.”

In the first two years of the programme running, of those who responded to the first 6 month follow up survey, 10% of delegates have been promoted within their role, 20% have moved into a new role within the College, and 10% have moved on to new role outside the College. 60% have stayed in their current role but have reported a growth in confidence and better communication with their managers.

Surrinder Johal, Director of Safety at the College, has been a speaker on the IMPACT programme. She said: “I’m very pleased to see this recognition of the programme on a national level. I have enjoyed meeting the participants on the programme, and I look forward to seeing their careers continue to progress.”

The organiser of the awards, Business in the Community, is an organisation focused on offering practical ways for businesses to work together and take action to help tackle some of the key issues facing society. Their Race Equality Director, Sandra Kerr OBE, said: “Congratulations to Imperial College London on being named as a Finalist in the Developing Talent Award category at the Business in the Community Race Equality Awards 2016. They are creating a workplace culture which puts race equality at the heart of their activity and ensures that diverse talent has equal opportunity to succeed at every level. It’s encouraging to see that they are addressing the need to reflect the clients, communities and customers they serve, and I hope other organisations will learn and be inspired to action from their example.”