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What employers are saying about equality and diversity

“Employers in some sectors have woken up to the fact that diversity in traditionally ‘male oriented’ occupations can offer a commercial edge. Sector Skills Councils in at least two industries have played an active role training up the new female workforces.”

[Diversity and the Skills for Business Network How the Sector Skills Councils are Addressing Diversity and Some Good Practice Case Studies GHK Consulting, January 2006 p 84]

“At BT we will only be able to deliver innovation, ensure excellent service and provide the range of products that will drive our business forward if we have a workforce that is every bit as diverse as the customers we serve.”
Ben Verwaayen, Chief
Executive Officer, BT Group

“We want to be the Brand of Choice. This means we must understand the needs of all communities in which we operate. We are strongly committed to a diverse workforce that reflects these communities and strengthens our business.”
Lewis Booth, Chairman
and CEO, Ford of Europe

[Above quotes are from Business Case for Diversity Good Practice in the Workplace published by the EU Commission 2005]

“Diversity in the workplace means ensuring that the workplace is inclusive and the environment is such that we can attract workers from all ethnic backgrounds or indeed from across the spectrum, including those with a disability. From the outset, it was always our intention to attract the best staff. To be able to do that you must make sure that the environment is as open as possible”
[FPM Accountancy Manager quoted on www.bitc.org.uk  Jan 2005]

If you would like to find out more about this topic, see our useful links pages or our employers’ toolkit - case studies.