Research from the Royal Academy of Engineering (RAEng) shows that engineers who feel included at work show increased motivation, performance, and commitment to their organisation.

The benefits for organisations also include an increased breadth of perspectives and voices, leading to greater innovation and even increased safety, as engineers who feel included are more likely to speak up about safety concerns. This suggests that inclusive cultures are strong cultures, where employees feel valued, supported and empowered to bring their ‘whole self’ to work.

RAEng has produced a series of workshop resources specifically for engineering companies to help create an inclusive culture where all members of the team feel valued. The team workshop series is made up of free downloadable workshop exercises, created by inclusion specialists. Each workshop is around 60 minutes long, designed for teams of 10-20 people and can be delivered as a series or as standalone exercises.

The Creating Inclusive Cultures: Team workshop series covers:

• Why is diversity and inclusion important?
• Language and banter
• Ways of working
• Problem solving

National Inclusion Week, created by Inclusive Employers runs from 28 September – 4 October 2020.

In addition, in partnership with the Association for Black and Minority Ethnic Engineers (AFBE), RAEng will be running a free online event, Racial parity in engineering - the stories behind the statistics.  Research by RAEng demonstrates that black engineering graduates are less likely to progress into engineering roles and that assumptions are made about engineers based on their ethnicity or nationality.

As the UK begins Black History Month, in a year which has become a tipping point for discussions and action around racial justice, this evening event will take an unflinching look at racial inequality in engineering. Participants will hear about the roles of institutions and individuals in perpetuating the status quo, and have an opportunity to learn about and discuss what actions can be taken to remove barriers to success that face black engineers.

Speakers will include:

• Dr Ollie Folayan CEng FIChemE, Co-Founder and Chair, AFBE-UK
• Dr Hayaatun Sillem CBE FIET, Chief Executive Officer, Royal Academy of Engineering
• Loraine Martins MBE, Director of Diversity and Inclusion, Network Rail
• Oluwaseye Sosanya, Co-Founder and CEO, Gravity Sketch
• Sargeant Alan Cameron, Royal Air Force
• Maryam Amussah CEng MIChemE, Production Specialist, Shell

This event is free of charge to attend but registration is required. It will run from 5.30-7.00pm (UK time) on 22 October. For more details or to register, please see the RAEng website.