Diversity & Inclusion

Supporting business to build inclusive, thriving communities is at the heart of the work of BITCI. Through our Inclusive Workplace Pledge – Elevate, we have set ourselves a vision to build a workforce that is fully reflective of our society. Despite being at full employment we know that certain groups experience disproportionate unemployment and experience

Returning to work following a long career break can be a considerably daunting experience for many women. This is accentuated when your professional field is in the technology space and the pace of change means that previously acquired skills and knowledge have become redundant. Yet, technology offers women incredible career opportunities; the ability to work

Recent events like the #MeToo and #BlackLivesMatter movements as well as the impact of the Covid19 pandemic on minority groups have demonstrated the reality of inequity in the world. A recent research study revealed that 49% of people in Ireland would not like to see more Black people immigrating to Ireland, and the figure goes higher for

  We know the Irish workforce is aging. Estimates from the Central Statistics Office indicate there will be about 1.5 million people aged 65 or over in Ireland by 2051. Also, with the qualifying age for the old-age pension likely to be pushed out, people are going to be in the workplace for longer. As

Last month, KPMG hosted an internal celebration and awareness campaign, KPMG Multicultural Week. Multicultural Week is about celebrating the diversity of KPMG’s people who come from over 50 different countries around the world. In 2021 alone KPMG hired 302 people from 31 different countries outside Ireland and the UK. This celebration shone a light on all

Today at the inaugural Elevate Pledge report launch we also announced our new Traveller Employment Programme, an important step-up in tackling the under-employment of Travellers. This programmes is an addition to our award winning employment programmes supporting people with high barriers to employment and it is funded by the Community Foundation for Ireland. Through direct

  As part of our Elevate Pledge Inaugural report launch, we delve deeper into some of the successful diversity and inclusion initiatives highlighted in the report. In this piece, learn about Sky Ireland’s New Horizons initiative. Sky is Europe’s leading media and entertainment company and is proud to be part of the Comcast group. What was your

  As part of our Elevate Pledge Inaugural report launch, we delve deeper into some of the successful diversity and inclusion initiatives highlighted in the report. In this piece, learn about Accenture’s Neurodivergent Internship Programme. What was your diversity & inclusion goal? Accenture is committed to accelerating inclusion and diversity for all and creating a work

As part of our Elevate Pledge Inaugural report launch, we delve deeper into some of the successful diversity and inclusion initiatives highlighted in the report. In this piece, learn about eir’s   Gender Pay Gap Report. What was your diversity & inclusion goal? eir is the principal provider of fixed-line and mobile telecommunications services in Ireland

As part of our Elevate Pledge Inaugural report launch, we delve deeper into some of the successful diversity and inclusion initiatives highlighted in the report. In this piece, learn about BT Ireland’s Early Career Programme. What was your diversity & inclusion goal? AT BT Ireland, one of our highest priorities is being a diverse, equitable and inclusive

As part of our Elevate Pledge Inaugural report launch, we delve deeper into some of the successful diversity and inclusion initiatives highlighted in the report. In this piece, learn about Energia’s Virtual Call Centre Teams. What was your diversity & inclusion goal? Diversity really matters to our organisation. It’s the right thing to strive for, and

Energia Group is proud to join International Women’s Day to celebrate women in engineering and to inspire girls to consider engineering as a career choice during STEPS Engineer’s Week. Engineer’s Week is a celebration of the world of engineering in Ireland which runs from 5-11 March. International Women’s Day is a global day celebrating the

eir, Ireland’s leading telecommunications provider, recently introduced a number of new policies designed to assist employees at times where they may need additional support. eir will become one of the first companies in Ireland to provide both a Fertility Policy and a Pregnancy Loss Policy, alongside the introduction of other supports relating to Menopause and

  EPIC is a free employment programme targeting asylum seekers and refugees under BITCI’s Business Action on Employment Programmes. It provides 6 weeks of training, including workshops on CV and Cover Letter writing, interview preparation, mock interviews, networking opportunities and more. 70% of EPIC participants have found jobs or entered training or are volunteering. This

Last September, KPMG and Children’s Books Ireland launched Free To Be Me , a project that ensures that every child can see themselves reflected in a book and exposes children to the lives of others whose experiences and perspectives may differ from their own. The Free To Be Me reading guide features cover artwork by illustrator Ashwin Chacko, and contains

Matheson has announced the 2021 launch of its Diversity and Inclusion Scholarship in association with Trinity College Dublin (TCD).  Renamed the Matheson Cara Scholarship, in honour of late Matheson partner, Cara O’Hagan, and delivered as part of Matheson’s Impactful Business Programme, the scholarship is open to second-year undergraduate students in TCD, including students on the Higher

To mark World Menopause Day, Vodafone made its Menopause Toolkit available to all Irish businesses, encouraging employers to engage with their teams on the topic and support employees through all life stages. Recent research conducted by Vodafone estimates that menopause currently affects around 15% of Vodafone’s 100,000 employees globally. As part of the independent study, it

Three Ireland and Trinity College Dublin have announced a new STEM scholarship partnership which will fund the creation of 25 Three Ireland Scholarships for Women in STEM over five years and two Three Ireland Trinity Access Teacher Fellowships for three years. The Trinity Access Teacher Fellows will play a crucial role in efforts to encourage

In March 2021, Age Action launched a new CSR programme: the Age Action BIG Corporate Challenge, where BIG stands for “Be Intergenerational.” This programme for corporate teams promotes intergenerational connection whilst raising funds and awareness to support our Age Action’s work. By pledging to “Be Intergenerational,” participants increase understanding across generations, which is key to

  As part of their commitment to Inclusion and Diversity and Business in the Community Ireland’s Elevate Pledge, SSE Airtricity will hire five people from underrepresented groups (such as people with disabilities) to start work this winter in their business. This is a unique opportunity to join one of Ireland’s leading green energy providers on

Making KPMG a better place to work and building a culture where where all people feel supported to balance their career ambitions with their personal lives is a big priority. Although we may not be celebrating Pride in the usual fashion in 2021, KPMG is proud to be a continued ally to all those in

Despite recent predictions of a stronger than expected economic recovery, forecasters are still expecting unemployment levels to rise this year to 10% – that’s double the figure pre-pandemic. At BITCI, through our education and employment programmes, we see first-hand both the privileges and the challenges that are part of life depending on background or personal

  Recognising that certain groups within our society face significant barriers to employment, BITCI commissioned a series of focus groups to gain an understanding of these barriers and how they can be overcome. The barriers to inclusion were explored from both the employer and the jobseeker’s perspective. Not surprisingly similar themes came out from both

From a moral sense we know Diversity and Inclusion is the right thing to do. We also know there is a strong business case for inclusion. Businesses are committed and formal statements are issued to welcome one and all to be a part of their organization. However genuine these statements are, the reality is, certain

Family retailer will offer three days at full pay to all employees, regardless of gender, including those with a surrogate mother affected by an early pregnancy loss & miscarriage Lidl Ireland is set to become the first company across the island of Ireland to update its Compassionate Leave Policy to reflect the inclusion of three

THURSDAY 20th May: 45 of Ireland’s largest companies have publicly committed to improve inclusivity and diversity in their workplaces by signing up to ELEVATE, the Business in the Community Ireland (BITCI) inclusive workplace pledge. BITCI recently commissioned Deloitte to assist with the research for a new report – Diversity and Inclusion in Focus – which

Mercury’s CEO Eoin Vaughan , recently made an announcement that Mercury is committed to eliminating its gender pay gap. Read the full message below: “I am delighted to announce that Mercury has reached a major milestone in our journey towards gender equality and inclusion. “Just over a year ago, we started implementing a solid compensation structure

KPMG are committed to fostering an inclusive culture and proud to support numerous initiatives to help deliver this. The theme for this year’s International Women’s Day (IWD) is ‘Choose To Challenge’. KPMG are bringing this campaign to life through a host of events to celebrate International Women’s Day as they continue to promote female empowerment.

Sodexo UK & Ireland has today publicly stated its commitment to a series of pledges forming its ethical manifesto for leading the way to improve quality of life for society and our planet. These pledges include gifting  up to 25% of its apprentice levy to SME suppliers, enabling them to create 100 new apprenticeships; cutting

Elaine O’Neill talks to Mia O’Connor about how our Student Mentoring programme gave her the confidence to get into Medicine at Trinity College Dublin. Listen to the lessons she’s learnt from her mentor Ciara O’Donoghue through Cornmarket’s partnership with Mount Carmel Secondary School in Dublin. Find out how to get involved with the Student Mentoring programme , part of our many