Oldham College named one of the UK's 'Best Workplace for Women'

Oldham College is celebrating after officially being named a 2021 UK’s Best Workplaces™ for Women, ranking at number 27 in the Large Size category.

The 2021 UK’s Best Workplaces™ for Women list has been launched by Great Place to Work®, championing inclusive workplace cultures and people practices.

To be considered for the list, employers must have a minimum of 25 per cent women in senior positions and a confidence level of 80 per cent for data from female workforce.

Josie Elson, Oldham College’s Director of Human Resources and Organisational Development, said: “Oldham College has a strong culture of fairness and believes that everyone should have the opportunity and support to achieve their potential.

“More than 65 per cent of our senior management roles here are held by women – and not just in the traditionally female-dominated fields.

"For example, we’ve just recently appointed a female Interim Director of Special Projects to take our ambitious construction agenda forward.

“We have reviewed all our policies to ensure we’re supporting all staff to achieve a good work life balance and to manage competing demands during the pandemic.

“It was fantastic to get confirmation that female staff felt supported by Oldham College in managing their caring responsibilities – with 82 per cent recently agreeing that we had flexed to help them meet their needs as a working parent or carer”.

This news comes three weeks after Oldham College achieved Great Place To Work® Certification.

Organisations must score 70 per cent in the ‘Trust Index’ to become certified – and Oldham College achieved 77 per cent in this year’s survey.

Highlights included 94 per cent of respondents agreeing that ‘People here are treated fairly regardless of their race or ethnic origin’ – and 92 per cent agreeing that ‘People here are treated fairly regardless of their gender’. 

Benedict Gautrey, Managing Director of Great Place to Work® UK, added: “We’re delighted to recognise so many great organisations in this fourth year of the UK’s Best Workplaces™ for Women list.

“The issues affecting women in the workplace, particularly what we’ve witnessed in the face of the pandemic including parity of pay and advancement opportunities, continue to be important topics.

"We are proud that, thanks to this ranking and the insights afforded by our successful organisations, we can help raise awareness of the importance of fairness around pay, recognition, training and development opportunities, and work-life balance.

“What our 2021 UK’s Best Workplaces™ for Women clearly show is the positive impact their practices have on business.

"As a result, they are better able to attract and retain women of talent, encouraging them to develop professionally and personally, and in turn, contribute exponentially to the success of the organisations they work for.”

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