A culture of respect and support
At OAS, we strive to ensure the best learning experience for all our apprentices. Equity, diversity, and inclusion are at the heart of everything we do. We want to ensure that all our learners, trainers and colleagues feel safe and valued by fostering a culture of respect and support where we celebrate differences and thrive on each other's success.
We will not discriminate, directly or indirectly, against anyone, on the basis of their protected characteristics of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation. We will not tolerate discrimination, and we will take action where examples of discrimination are found.
ACCESS AND AWARENESS
We strive to go beyond merely complying with the legislation, by removing barriers to learning and working with us, wherever we can.
Over the last two years, OAS has been actively participating in the government initiative called Access and Awareness, with support from our employer partner, UKAEA. This aims to create access pathways to underrepresented communities in Oxfordshire, to enhance diversity and create inclusivity within our engineering apprenticeship programmes.
THE ED&I TOOLKIT
With assistance from expert consultants from the fields of mental health, neurodiversity, physical accessibility, and LGBTQ+, and with the active help of many trainers and apprentices, we have designed an EDI toolkit, to support our learners on their apprenticeship journey, and enhance their experience with us.
The toolkit aims to provide OAS apprentices and trainers with practical advice, guidance and information on various aspects of mental health, neurodiversity and LGBTQ+ topics.
ADDITIONAL SUPPORT
We hope that our toolkit will provide, not only a useful set of resources, but also will be a great starting point for all of us at the centre to learn about different behaviours, and to understand how to improve our wellbeing.
Many of our team members have been trained to provide support with mental health and wellbeing, including providing additional help with the application process and the learning journey.
See the links below for further information:
