Gower College Swansea secures a Stonewall’s Bronze award for leading LGBTQ+ inclusive employers

Stonewall is Europe’s largest charity for lesbian, gay, bi, trans and queer rights.

In the latest Stonewall Top Employers list, Gower College Swansea is ranked 12th amongst employers headquartered in Wales and 25th in the Education Sector in the UK.

Over the past year, Gower College Swansea says it has undertaken significant strides towards creating an inclusive working environment, including establishing a LGBTQ+ network that works to promote LGBTQ+ rights and inclusivity across the College.

Stonewall’s Top 100 Employers List 2023 is the UK’s leading ranking of employers from public, private and third sectors on how inclusive their workplaces are.

Nancy Kelley, CEO of Stonewall said: “It’s been fantastic to see all of the work put in by Gower College Swansea over the past year to create a workplace where LGBTQ+ staff feel free to thrive as themselves.  

“For many of us, the majority of our time is spent at work, so if we have to hide who we are it can take an enormous personal toll and hold us back from fulfilling our true potential. Creating environments where we can all feel comfortable makes our workplaces a safer, better and friendlier place for everyone and helps staff be proud of who they are.  

“We’re incredibly proud to see so many new entrants from a range of sectors on this year’s list, who are committed to making LGBTQ+ people’s lives better.”

Sarah King, Director of HR at Gower College Swansea said: “We are so proud to receive Stonewall’s Bronze award. We’ve worked extremely hard to create an inclusive workplace for all, one which welcomes and supports everyone.  

“Throughout the year we hold awareness events for specific issues and causes at the College. This includes ‘Rainbow Week’, a week dedicated to raising awareness of LGBTQ+ issues and celebrating inclusivity. Many LGBTQ champions have visited the College to share their experiences, including Nigel Owens MBE and Kellie Maloney.

“Our policies have been praised by Stonewall for being inclusive. For example, we are using more gender-neutral language and we’ve introduced gender-neutral facilities in all our buildings. We will continue to work towards creating a workplace where everyone feels safe and comfortable being themselves at work.”

The College also holds the Gold Corporate Health Standard Award in recognition of its policy of maintaining and promoting a high quality of health and wellbeing in the workplace.

(Lead Image: Gower College Swansea)