Equality and Inclusion Manager receives Icon Award nomination
Nancy Birney, Head of Equality and Inclusion at Glasgow Clyde College has received a finalist nomination at this year’s prestigious Icon Awards for her part in advancing equality and addressing the barriers to inclusion within further education.
Nominated in the Diversity and Inclusion Manager of the Year category, Nancy’s equality career spans over a decade.
Nancy’s role requires her to influence and to be involved in, all aspects of college provision from aspirational vision and values to the practical aspects of selection, recruitment and nurture of an inclusive and diverse workforce. Nancy’s efforts help to equip college staff with the skills and knowledge they require to empower personal progression, whether in education or work, for a particularly diverse cohort of students, irrespective of personal characteristics or additional individual needs.
In her current role at Glasgow Clyde College, Nancy has introduced the Embracing Diversity Competition, engaging students and staff from all subject areas and academic levels. The competition has become increasingly popular and now runs at a regional level involving all three colleges within the Glasgow area. She has helped the College’s student association, GCCSA, establish Inclusion, Diversity, Equality and Access (IDEA) groups who meet to discuss and resolve issues affecting any of the nine protected characteristics identified in the Equality Act, or any marginalised group or individual, and delivers the Extended Learning Support (ELS) service which aims to meet the needs of students with disabilities and/or additional support needs.
The nomination is a welcome surprise for Nancy. She said: “The awards are voted for by the public so it came as a complete surprise to me, but a very nice one. I have worked within the equality sector for over 10 years and I have seen things change significantly for the better. I believe that strong foundations have been built to support future ambitions to remove barriers to inclusion and to effect cultural change.”
Nancy continues: “Further Education provides a wonderful opportunity to deliver lifelong learning to a wide variety of students of different ages, from diverse cultures, beliefs, individual circumstances and significantly different and often challenging backgrounds.
“The work of the College is centred on our ability to influence and change peoples’ lives through their interaction with us. We aim to provide them with the necessary life skills to access the world of work, the skills required to enter the job market, the knowledge to allow progress in education, and the improvement of skills of those already in the workplace.
“We value our staff and their contribution to successful outcomes for the College and its students and have a clear commitment to supporting them to reach their maximum potential.”
The Icon Awards reward businesses and individuals striving for inclusiveness and championing diversity in all forms across Scotland. The awards will take place on 15th September at the Hilton Hotel in Glasgow.