Now on its seventh year of breaking down barriers and improving workplace inclusion, excitement is building for this year's Herald & GenAnalytics Diversity Conference for Scotland.

 

With a week to go until The Herald & GenAnalytics Diversity Conference opens on Wednesday, 24 April at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Glasgow, some of those organisations who are supporting this year’s event have been expressing their excitement about the day itself and the impact of the conference.

Amongst those speaking out have been Jane Gotts, Director of event partners GenAnalytics, who is hopeful that it will be a catalyst for more positive change in the jobs landscape.

She said: “Scotland’s Diversity Conference gives a platform to discuss the key issues facing organisations who want to do better to improve diversity and inclusion in their workplace. It is also a safe space to hold conversations that can be difficult and our speakers and panellists aim to share their expertise and experiences to support others.

“In the seventh year of this conference we still face the challenge of people being worried about or doing the wrong thing. This often leads to organisations putting diversity and inclusion on the back burner or the ‘too difficult’ box. Our conference exists to break down these barriers and break through the noise around diversity.

“We have achieved great strides in the last decade but we must continue to do more to ensure our economy is open to everyone and that workplaces enable all individuals to flourish and achieve their potential.”

Also voicing his support has been Forbes Dunlop, Chief Executive, sportscotland, who said:“At sportscotland, our aim and motivation is for everyone to have a positive experience of sport and physical activity. To achieve this, we must break down barriers, we must create opportunities and we must level the playing field.

“The Herald and GenAnalytics Diversity conference will be a fantastic opportunity to learn from experts in this field, and even more importantly, to hear from people with lived experience of exclusion. Only through listening can we fully understand the barriers and only through working in partnership with diverse communities across Scotland can we effect positive change.“

Amongst the topics up for discussion include technological inequality, the importance of a neurodiverse workforce and the barriers that still stand in the way of equality and with panellists from organisations including Skills Development Scotland, Construction Leadership Forum and the NatWest Group, the debates will include many experts who have practical experience of initiating best practice around inclusion and diversity in a wide range of workplace settings.

For the employers, HR specialists and charities attending the Conference, there will be plenty of opportunity to learn more about tackling hidden issues and finding solutions to the problems of conditions that are seldom talked about or even recognised, but which can lead to employees struggling in their roles or being unable to gain employment in the first place.

Delegates will also have the chance to network with representatives from many diverse fields who are similarly committed to tackling inequality and whose shared experience could prove invaluable in progressing the cause of those who find themselves excluded, overlooked or unable to fulfil their potential because of the barriers that still remain in place.

With a few tickets still available, there is still time to secure a place at Scotland’s leading equality and diversity conference. Full details are available at https://newsquestscotlandevents.com/events/the-diversity-conference/