Laura Savage’s Post

In an era when championing DEI&B faces both social and legal challenges, it's crucial to navigate these waters with knowledge and care. A commitment to creating a more inclusive workplace is a must. This is a great guide from HiBob with effective strategies to support DEI&B initiatives while ensuring compliance and fostering an environment where everyone feels valued. Check it out: https://hibobl.ink/4egGKYO

An insightful interview with Shamim Stokes Chartered FCIPD, Senior Learning Business Partner at Sodexo, talking about their L5 Coaching Professional Apprenticeship programme's positive impact on the organisation and how it has benefitted their charity partners, The Trussell Trust, FareShare and The Bread and Butter Thing. Find out more about our Apprenticeships here: https://lnkd.in/echvV_gu #coaching #coachingprofessional #apprenticeship #employervoice

Still in awe of our flat hierarchy approach that empowers everyone to share their ideas, contribute to the company's growth, and pursue their own professional development. 👩🎓 At Signable, you're not just a cog in a machine, you're a valued member of a team where every voice matters 💙 #Signable #TopWorkplace #Development #EmployeeEmpowerment

The last couple of weeks have been hectic, mainly due to the amount of external activity working “heads out” as we say at Farrat! Highlights included: Participation in the Trafford college group advisory board event, discussing and influencing the future of T-levels - an initiative we’re proud to support at Farrat with our T-level students. Attending the HR Inner Circle annual conference, enjoying brilliant guest speakers giving insight on a variety of topics, and keeping abreast of what’s going on and coming up within my professional industry. Visiting the University of Salford to discuss the possibilities for a strategic partnership with Farrat, to build on the foundations we’ve already put in place with the launch of our Farrat-Pemberton Scholarship earlier this year. Having the privilege of being invited to officially cut the ribbon on behalf of Farrat at the newly refurbished G-Force community cafe, Farrat being the largest donor to the refurbishment project to help secure the future of the community cafe. It’s been a full on few weeks of external activity, and it can often feel like this impacts negatively on the “heads down” work that just needs to get done. A day out of the office means frantic catching up with emails and the day-to-day routine when you’re back. But it’s so important that we don’t lose sight of the enormous value that our external activity, and looking outwards from the business, brings us. It provides valuable insight and experience to influence and sustain future activity, and gives us the opportunity to see the real difference we’re making, and can make in the future, to our industry and communities. So the next time I have such a full-on diary of being heads out, instead of thinking about the emails stacking up, I’ll continue to embrace the opportunities that an external lens gives me to appreciate our impact and to shape the strategy and focus for the future. #beyondthejob #alwayslearning #externallens

In an era when championing DEI&B faces both social and legal challenges, it's crucial to navigate these waters with knowledge and care. A commitment to creating a more inclusive workplace is a must. This is a great guide from HiBob with effective strategies to support DEI&B initiatives while ensuring compliance and fostering an environment where everyone feels valued. Check it out: https://hibobl.ink/3MbciTJ

In May, WAMA launched DEI research in conjunction with Edith Cowan University. We surveyed the marketing industry in WA, giving us insights into your experience with diversity and inclusion. Here's a couple of key takeaways: - 1 in 4 respondents experienced discrimination at work. - Only 42% of those who experienced discrimination formally reported it. - 3 in 10 agency workers feel they aren’t treated with respect. - People's sense of connection drops significantly in the 5-10 year employment period. You can read the full report here (some of the quotes are sobering)👉🏼 https://lnkd.in/g8yqDnh8 As part of our commitment to tackling these issues, WAMA (WA Marketing Association Inc.) is forming a DEI task force to lead our diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts. We are looking for committed individuals to partner with us in building a more inclusive marketing community in Western Australia 🫶🏻. If you want to get involved and drive meaningful change with us, express your interest before the EOI applications close. Register here 👇🏼: https://lnkd.in/gFTZKqVG

Tai Pawb are officially trialling the four-day week. Effective from 1 April 2024, we will be embarking on a 12-month pilot of the four-day week (4DW). We recognise this is a journey for us, but we are keen to make it a success - as it has been for the large majority of those who undertook the global trial. We look forward to sharing our learning and experiences, so keep an eye on our LinkedIn. Why are we implementing the 4DW? Global trials and the successful implementation of a 4DW by hundreds of organisations has demonstrated increased staff well-being, maintaining or increasing productivity and performance, promotion of equality and has helped employers attract talent. We also follow in the footsteps of two of our member organisations. Merthyr Valleys Homes took part in the global trial, and following on from the success of that trial, the policy was adopted permanently. Co-Production Network Wales has also recently adopted the policy. How will it work? During the initial period, we are piloting all colleagues having the same day off – which will be a Friday. This will mean that our services will be operating from Monday-Thursday. The 4DW is based on a principle of 100 – 80 – 100: delivering 100% of the work, in 80% of the time, for 100% of salary. The concept is gaining ever-more support both here in the UK and internationally, with public, private and third sector organisations arranging trials and successfully implementing the policy. This should not affect our work with our members and we will be monitoring our outputs, outcomes and staff wellbeing closely. We have set up a robust framework for ensuring and monitoring our performance alongside the impact of the four-day week, recognising that any potential challenges are identified early. This includes engagement and feedback from member organisations and our colleagues. Wish us well as we embark on this new way of working, and continue our commitment to advancing equality, diversity and social justice in housing in Wales.

Big things are happening at Gildeas! Discover the five key takeaways from our first annual staff conference last week, and find out what's next for our firm. Read our latest blog here: https://lnkd.in/enDKvTU5 #GildeasConf24

The Youth Employment Summit was an event that I organized as the project lead for the St. Louis county workforce development as part of their larger youth jobs initiative. Building on key takeaways from our roundtable discussion with the Regional Business Council, A central pain point was engaging with the workforce at a younger age. St. Louis County workforce development is utilizing targeted data to identify St. Louis County zip codes with high youth poverty and unemployment. St. Louis County workforce development will target youth in those areas through the youth jobs initiative. The purpose of the youth jobs initiative is to coordinate funding, resources, partnerships, and programs to match those youth with employment opportunities that offer career pathways. As part of our efforts to promote this initiative, St. Louis County Workforce development hosted a County-wide youth employment summit. The goal of the youth employment summit is to present St. Louis County high school students with funding sources, training partners, career training programs and direct employment opportunities in one event. The events’ purpose was to promote the youth jobs initiative, educate the students on available funding sources, inform the students of available career training and programs, and present the students with employment opportunities. More to come...

**M&S to support a further 2,000 young people into work with The King’s Trust** Marks and Spencer has pledged to train and support nearly 2,000 hard to reach young people through its Marks & Start programme over the next three years as part of its multi-year strategy with The King's Trust. Now in its 20th year, the scheme helps people who face barriers to employment get their first step on the career ladder and so far has helped 30,000 individuals gain employment. This includes 12,000 young people through the retailer’s partnership with The King’s Trust. The retailer said four out of five participants who have completed the scheme have gone on to have a career within its business. The programme equips young people with essential skills they need to navigate their first roles, from CV and interview preparation through to money management. M&S CEO Stuart Machin said: “As a young boy of 16 years old, I started my career in retail, working part time on weekends and in the evening doing trolleys, working on the checkout serving customers and replenishing shelves. Work gave me purpose as well as pocket money. “As one of the UK’s biggest retail employers, it’s our responsibility to help young people into work – especially those furthest from employment who might need extra support. But we can’t do it alone; that’s why we partner with The King’s Trust and YoungMinds, brilliant organisations that really understand the help young people need. “The success of Marks and Start over twenty years shows the difference that partnership can make – together with The King’s Trust we’ve helped 12,000 young people into work and in doing so, changed thousands of lives. Too many young people in the UK face barriers to getting a job, but if we work together, we can change that.” The King’s Trust chief executive Jonathan Townsend added: “M&S have been a driving force behind our employability initiatives and we are so proud of our long-standing partnership, celebrating 20 years together to support 12,000 young people. “With their pioneering approach and embedding our work across their organisation, we are able to remove employability barriers for thousands of young people helping to transform their futures.” #marksandspencer #retail #valuethroughinsight Link to article in comments. My comment - this is great news. I was a business mentor for The Prince's Trust (as it was known then) back in the mid 2000's and it's fantastic to see this partnership with M&S