A high-profile campaign celebrating inclusivity and diversity in industry has been launched by one of the UK’s leading training providers. ‘I’m In-Comm, I’m Included’ is the message being championed by apprentices, learners and staff at
In-Comm Training as they look to break down some of the barriers faced by women, ethnic minorities and hard to engage groups considering an apprenticeship and career in engineering and manufacturing.
The powerful message is featured in a new video (below) that uses the personal narrative of more than 15 people from the company’s two technical academies in Aldridge and Telford. It will be the focal point of a campaign that is calling on individuals, ambassadors and companies to get involved, act on their own inclusivity campaigns and reach out to engage with their communities to tell their story. This will be amplified via the imincluded hashtag across all social media channels, with the plan of hosting special networking events and a dedicated ‘inclusivity and diversity’ day every year.
Bekki Phillips, In-Comm Training’s executive director, said: “There have been major strides made, but this is just the start — we want to accelerate the good work and help industry bridge the major skills gap we face by being even more inclusive.
“A lot of firms talk about it, that is true. However, the message needs to be louder, and we felt that we wanted to seize the moment and launch a campaign that everyone associated with industry can get involved in. We spoke with learners, employers, apprentices and our Skills Steering Group and the unanimous decision was made to launch ‘I’m In-Comm, I’m Included’. The video will kickstart the campaign and then it is all about getting people and organisations involved to tell their own stories.”
In-Comm Training has spent the last eight years raising the profile of apprenticeships and upskilling opportunities across hard-to-reach groups and areas across the West Midlands. It has been a concerted campaign that has paid off, with nearly 17% of its apprentices now female and a similar number coming from a Black Asian or Minority Ethnic background – both above the national averages.
Ms Phillips added: “Progress has been made, but these figures are still nowhere near high enough. Industry is for everyone, regardless of gender, ethnicity, age, religion and beliefs and we are working hard to prove that!”
In-Comm Training has already enlisted the support of its 20 IC Ambassadors and its 75-strong workforce to spread the message, while several employers and partners have also pledged their support. This includes Made in the Midlands, the Confederation of British Metalforming, Aldridge and Brownhills MP Wendy Morton and various members of its Skills Steering Group, including Accura Engineering, Alwayse Engineering, Brandauer, FBC Manby Bowdler, Frederick Cooper Birmingham, Gestamp, Guhring, and Metsec.
The aim is to also take ‘I’m In-Comm, I’m included’ to Whitehall and get Jacqui Smith, Minister for Skills, Apprenticeships and Higher Education, involved. Nteokan Egopija is one of the faces that appear in the campaign video having started her Level 3 Machining Technician Apprenticeship at a leading aerospace company in September 2023. The Wolverhampton Girls’ High School pupil did not want to follow the same A-Level and university path as most of her friends, instead choosing the vocational route.
She said: “It has been one of the best decisions I have made, and I have really enjoyed learning the technical elements and then immediately applying them to real-life engineering scenarios – all while earning a wage too.
“From the minute I stepped into In-Comm Training’s Technical Academy in Telford I felt welcome. If you throw yourself into the course you will get so much respect, help, advice and friendship — I would recommend it to other girls who are practical and good problem-solvers. This is one of the reasons why I was so keen to be involved in the ‘I’m In-Comm, I’m Included’ video.
“It is important to get the message out there that manufacturing does not discriminate on age, gender, ethnicity or religion — in short, industry is for all!” Once finishing her Level 3, Nteokan is already setting her sights on completing HNC/HND courses and is targeting an engineering design job.
Wendy Moreton, MP for Aldridge and Brownhills, concluded: “I am delighted to add my support to In-Comm’s ‘I’m Included’ campaign. It is yet again another initiative brought forward by the training provider to try and bridge the gap in our region and champions inclusivity and diversity in industry.”