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The Heart of Yorkshire Education Group, formed by the 2022 merger of Selby and Wakefield Colleges, serves the Yorkshire region through campuses in Castleford, Selby, and Wakefield. It offers a variety of education programs to over 10,000 students and employs 890+ staff with a turnover of £36 million.
INDUSTRY: Education
EMPLOYEE NUMBERS: 900
ACCREDITATION(S): Investors in Diversity Bronze (Working Towards Silver)
At the Heart of Yorkshire Education Group, we were incredibly keen to embed FREDIE into our organisational structure as it has the potential to completely transform our workplace culture.
The Heart of Yorkshire Education Group, formed by the merger of Selby College and Wakefield College in March 2022, serves the education and skills needs of the Yorkshire region from its campuses in Castleford, Selby, and Wakefield.
Offering a wide range of post-16 provision, apprenticeships, higher education, and adult qualifications, the Group supports over 10,000 students and employs more than 890 staff, with a combined turnover of £36 million.
Attending the making inclusion safe again training benefits our staff by fostering a culture of open dialogue, mutual respect and safety. It helps employees navigate diversity and inclusion with confidence, ensuring that mistakes become learning opportunities rather than sources of fear. The training encourages healthier workplace interactions, reducing conflict and improving teamwork. Employees were able to gain practical skills to create a more inclusive and supportive environment, ultimately leading to greater engagement, productivity and job satisfaction.
Inclusion is far more than a word, it’s what defines us as an organisation. That is why it’s one of our core values and is something which I see our staff live and breath every day in their work. We have strong foundations in place and achieving the Inclusion in Diversity accreditation is a testament to our efforts in creating an inclusive community for our learners and staff.
The Heart of Yorkshire Education Group recently hosted a CPD day to introduce the FREDIE framework to staff, featuring sessions that sparked curiosity and promoted discussions on Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI). Solat Chaudhary, Founder and CEO of the National Centre for Diversity, led engaging sessions on making inclusion safe again. Following the event, staff were encouraged to continue the conversation and share ideas on embedding EDI into daily practice.
At the Heart of Yorkshire Education Group, we were incredibly keen to embed FREDIE into our organisational structure as it has the potential to completely transform our workplace culture. As it’s a national benchmark, it means it’s something to strive for and compare ourselves to, providing us with further insights into key strengths and areas that require further development.
National Centre for Diversity
PO BOX 1741, Huddersfield, HD1 9GA
Call: 0800 288 4717
Email: admin@iiduk.org
