Our Portfolio
Our delivery pathways are through work with employers and stakeholders (returners, active professionals, apprentices, students) within the STEM pipeline. We partner with a wide range of stakeholders: private sector companies, small and medium enterprises (SMEs), not-for-profit and public sector organisations with the objective of strengthening Scotland’s STEM infrastructure through the creation of resources and development of bespoke training and capacity strengthening projects.
Knowledge and Skills Infrastructure Projects
1. Mentoring Toolkit for Tech Start-Ups
Project Overview:
To support the Scottish Tech start-up and Small Medium Enterprise (SME) ecosystem, Equate Scotland developed a toolkit to guide tech organisations on how to create a positive mentoring experience for students, participating in placement programmes within the organisation.
Dates:
March 2023 – March 2024
Scope:
Create an inclusive recruitment practice toolkit which provides guidance to tech startups with the objective of enabling a positive experience for mentees, who are students in this project. The toolkit is in a video format, making it easy to access, where the students can watch as many times as they need, and available for organisations to use again for future cohorts. The four videos in the toolkit covered the below topics:
– Reflecting on what employers can expect from students on an industry placement and understanding the key terminology and concepts employers need to be aware of.
– Getting familiar with inclusive recruitment practices to set a positive tone for the placement.
– Exploring how employers can use fair work practices as a framework to support students throughout their placement.
– Learning how to develop students’ confidence and skills using a mentoring approach.
Beneficiaries:
Scottish start-ups or SMEs working in the tech industry. The target audience for these videos were CEOs, managers or anyone in the organisation involved in the recruitment, onboarding or mentoring of future students.
Results:
This project is now complete – the videos have been produced and are available here.
This toolkit will not only benefit organisations but also the students on placements, as it aims to answer some of the questions on what good practice for onboarding and mentoring looks like. The objective of this project has been about helping create a fair, positive, and inclusive experience for everyone.
Partners:
e-placement Scotland, Skills Development Scotland, Edinburgh Napier University, Scotland IS
2. Training to SME staff in the manufacturing sector
Project Overview:
Equate Scotland partnered with the Association for Black and Minority Ethnic Engineers (AFBE),and The National Manufacturing Institute Scotland (NMIS) to deliver a series of training courses to organisations in the manufacturing sector in Scotland.
Dates:
March – November 2022
Scope:
To review current practices of organisations with the objective of identifying actions to help increase diversity in the workplace. This project was designed for SMEs and took an innovative approach by encouraging organisations to enable multiple staff members from different functions of the organisation to attend the series. Including a member of the leadership team, an HR professional and a technical member of staff – this was to ensure a holistic approach, hear from different voices, and secure buy-in from across the participating organisations.
The sessions delivered by Equate Scotland included skills to mitigate bias, inclusive recruitment best practices, positive action & Equality, Diversion and Inclusion (ED&I) in leadership. The three-part series was broken down to ensure the content could be easily understood and allow reflection time in between sessions.
Beneficiaries:
Organisations in the manufacturing sector with a focus on SMEs.
Results:
Equate worked with ten organisations for this project and supported seven cohorts. We also had one organisation that followed up with Equate and benefitted from a free ED&I consultation which helped them review and reflect on their current internal workplace culture.
Partners:
NMIS, AFBE Scotland
3. Staff Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion Training in Higher Education
Project Overview:
Equate Scotland was commissioned by Edinburgh Napier University (ENU) to design and deliver a series of ED&I training workshops for ENU staff. Through a series of facilitated discussions, the attendees gain an understanding of the barriers that may occur in the workplace.
Dates:
2021-2023
Scope:
The university already provides mandatory online ED&I training, Equate’s training added value by creating opportunities within the training sessions for ENU staff to share their experiences, thereby increasing their confidence and awareness in recognising, challenging, and overcoming non-inclusive behaviours.
The topics covered during Equate’s sessions include the following:
• Understanding the difference between Equality, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion.
• Recognising the types of unfair treatment including direct and indirect discrimination, harassment, bullying and victimisation – in the context of the Scottish legal environment.
• Understanding unconscious bias and its impact on workplace culture.
• Reflecting on one’s own privilege.
• Learning tools to identify and mitigate bias.
• Challenging unfair treatment at work.
Beneficiaries:
The training was available to all ENU employees.
Results:
We delivered this training to six different cohorts, and around 135 participants.
Partner:
Edinburgh Napier University
4. Women into STEM project
Project Overview:
Funded by Skills Development Scotland (SDS) this multi partnership project aimed to address the leaky pipeline and encourage more women into STEM roles. The project worked with stakeholders and partners to help develop awareness, access, and participation for young women to become involved in STEM activities and pathways. By developing sustainable apprenticeship pathways, the projects’ aim is to support the recruitment development and progression of pupils aged 16 to 24 years into STEM experiential pathways, such as Modern Apprenticeships and Engineering across the West of Scotland and Forth Valley.
Dates:
April 2021 – March 2023
Scope:
The lead partner was West College Scotland, with Equate Scotland as the delivery partner for employer and apprentice related activities. This project combined employer capacity development and supporting apprentices on the STEM pipeline.
The first stage of the project involved Equate working with four employers to establish a baseline on recruitment of women into STEM roles deliver training on inclusive recruitment, supporting women into apprenticeships, and reviewing the participating organisations’ internal ED&I practices.
The second stage engaging with women apprentices with the aim of creating inclusive workplaces and supporting apprentices to build their peer support network while providing opportunities to network with role models within industry.
Beneficiaries:
Employers and women apprentices.
Results:
The participating women apprentices reported that the sessions delivered by Equate Scotland were beneficial for meeting other female apprentices from different backgrounds. Equate Scotland sessions also provided a safe place to discuss issues and share experiences. The participants also reported that the sessions helped build confidence and provide them the opportunity to self reflect.Thus enabling them to focus on their strengths and recognising the skills they can offer to the workplace.
Partners:
West College Scotland, Forth Valley College, Young Enterprise Scotland, Skills Development Scotland
5. Next Steps in Equality in STEM
Project Overview:
The aim of the project was to support an Indonesian Polytechnic Polibatam in setting up of a steering group with the aim of promoting equality within the institution. The Steering Group would bring together individuals from Indonesian academia (centred around our partner institution initially, where the partners would have ownership of shaping the future composition of the group), industry and government.
Date:
2024
Scope:
Equate provided consultancy service in developing, reviewing and finalising the terms of reference and the development of the steering group.
Beneficiaries:
Indonesian academic institutions, industry stakeholders, and government bodies.
Results:
Solutions to the issue of gender equality around STEM industries and studies in Indonesia had an Indonesian solution, created from the perspective of the people in that country and what would work for them.
Following deliverables
- Creation of terms of reference document for Indonesian Steering Group
- Identification of potential partners in country to be invited to join
Partners:
Glasgow City College (commissioning body), Polibatam Polytechnic, Indonesia
6. Improving Workplace Practice – Embedding Inclusive Language and Cultural Norms
Project Overview:
A training initiative to transform workplace by raising awareness of language impact, identifying workplace culture, and using the power of inclusive language, particularly within STEM sectors.
This course aimed to give learners the skills and knowledge to foster a truly inclusive workplace environment. Traditional training programmes often overlook the nuances of gender-sensitive learning, especially within STEM sectors where prejudice and discrimination persist. Language in the workplace can unwittingly perpetuate gender inequality and create hostile environments.
Date:
2023
Scope:
The objectives of the course:
- To broaden awareness of issues and concerns around language and how it impacts men and women in the workplace.
- To develop ability to identify what the dominant culture is within workplace, and if there are any norms which impact on women being excluded
- To provide an in-depth understanding of acceptable and unacceptable language use in the workplace.
- To improve communication skills with regards to incorporating inclusive language and practices in the workplace.
Beneficiaries:
STEM professionals, HR teams, diversity and inclusion officers.
Results:
- Delivered a course enhancing awareness of gender-sensitive communication.
- Empowered participants to identify and challenge exclusionary workplace norms.
- Improved inclusive communication practices across participating organisations.
Partners:
Edinburgh Napier University
7. Training and Toolkit on Inclusive Recruitment
Project Overview:
Equate Scotland commissioned by Skills Development Scotland (SDS), developed workshops and a learning resource (toolkit) on inclusive recruitment for SMEs (Small and Medium Enterprise). The workshops were delivered across two weeks sessions to cohorts attending through the UK Cyber Security Council (UKCSC) during the cybersecurity week, and to members of Scotland IS.
Date:
Novemer 2023 – March 2024
Scope:
The employer workshops were designed and delivered in the form of a webinar split across two weeks, where each session lasted for an hour and a half and had a mix of theory, evidence informed concepts, and practice-based exercises.
The workshops had three learning outcomes:
- Understanding the importance of inclusive recruitment in Cyber/ Tech.
- Understanding the strategic stages of the recruitment process
- Focusing on your strengths to build your recruitment strategy
The toolkit is designed in three parts, where each section covers concepts, examples, and best practices:
- Why Equality, Diversity, Inclusion (ED&I) matters
- Key terminology and concepts you need to be aware of
- Understanding ED&I requirements in the Scottish SME (Small and Medium Enterprise) market
Beneficiaries:
Employers, mentors, students on work experience programmes.
Results:
- Themes of focus within the toolkit:
1. Why equality, diversity and inclusion matters? Watch the Video - 2. All about inclusive recruitment practices Watch the Video
- 3. Inclusivity beyond inclusive recruitment practices Watch the Video
And the feedback from the participants was that they felt confident in identifying non-inclusive practices within their organisation’s recruitment processes; and that they felt confident applying inclusive recruitment strategies within their organisations.
Partners:
Skills Development Scotland (SDS), UK Cyber Security Council (UKCSC), Scotland IS
Women and Students in STEM Pipeline Projects
1. Ukrainian Women’s Project
Project Overview:
The aim of this project was to support displaced Ukrainian women in Edinburgh to start new careers in technology. This is a multi-partner project, where technical capacity building initiatives were combined with an employability skills building approach.
Dates:
April – September 2023
Scope:
The overall objective of the project was to work with a group of refugee women to familiarise them with the employability landscape of Scotland, support a smaller cohort in accessing technical training on software engineering where selected candidates could apply to NatWest as trainee software engineers. Equate Scotland’s provided a wraparound service consisting of employability support with a focus on career change coaching, CV development support, and interview skills. This project was run as a pilot, following the successful completion of which, Equate Scotland worked with displaced Ukrainian parents.
Beneficiaries:
60 Ukrainian women and non-binary refugees.
Results:
Ten women were successful in graduating with a Code First Girls qualification which then enabled them to secure employment opportunities with NatWest (RBS).
As a result of this work,the participants demonstrated an increase in awareness of their rights within the STEM labour market while developing their technical and employability skills.
Partners:
NatWest (Royal Bank Scotland), Code First Girls, Data Lab, Capital City Partnership
2. Engaging Minoritised Beneficiaries in Engineering Diversity Development (EMBEDD)
Project Overview:
The EMBEDD project aimed to encourage inclusion and diversity in engineering education. The project objective was to inspire local pupils from underrepresented groups into engineering via a student experience programme. The student experience programme was led by University of Dundee students from the School of Science and Engineering. The university students underwent a mentorship programme, which not only fostered a sense of belonging, but also supported them to develop their communication skills.
The project built capacity of engineering students on the themes of communication, teamwork, and leadership to raise aspirations of school-pupils from Scottish Index of Multiple Depravation (SIMD) areas as they hear from inspiring role models (engineering students).
Dates:
March 2023-September 2024
Scope:
Equate Scotland co-designed and co-delivered a series of training sessions for both the students and staff that were involved in mentoring pupils. Resulting in students accessing mentoring support, developing transferrable skills, and were receiving fair wages for their involvement.
Beneficiaries:
Students from underrepresented backgrounds and university staff at the University of Dundee. Secondary beneficiaries were school pupils from partnering schools.
Results:
Due to the nature of the programme, it is too early to assess the impact on pupils’ career development but the responses and level of engagement from students and staff was very encouraging.
Partners:
University of Dundee, AFBE Scotland, Royal Academy of Engineering
3. Data Science Professional Development
Project Overview:
Edinburgh College runs a Professional Development Award (PDA) in Data Science in partnership with the Data Driven Innovation Skills Gateway. As part of the PDA Equate Scotland was commissioned to deliver training to develop women’s confidence, help them identify their transferrable skills and practice networking skills.
Dates:
February to May 2023
Scope:
Participants were women aiming to upskill, reskill, or change careers. Equate’s sessions took place online to encourage as many women to participate in the training. The 18 weeks long training was divided in to three sessions covering: building resilience and managing change, assertive communication in the workplace, and how to get the most out of their network.
Beneficiaries:
Working women currently looking for a career change.
Results:
The participants self reported an increased awareness and confidence within the data science field.
Partners:
Edinburgh College, Data Driven Innovation Skills Gateway
4. Imposter Syndrome Training
Project Overview:
Equate Scotland was commissioned to deliver an interactive workshop during the conference for Undergraduate Women and Non-binary Physicists at the University of Glasgow. Due to the high level of interest from students we ran three simultaneous in-person workshops addressing feelings of imposter syndrome and how to overcome these feelings.
The workshop was interactive and enabled students to share their own experiences and connect with their fellow learners.
Dates:
April 2022
Beneficiaries:
Women and non-binary students in Physics
Results:
Fifty students benefitted from the in-person workshop. Students self reported that they felt a sense of belonging and the training also helped them realise many women in STEM feel the same way.
Partners:
University of Glasgow, University of Glasgow Women in Physics Society
5. Women Returners Project
Project Overview:
Equate Scotland partnered with Code Division to deliver an eight week training project supporting women returners to reskill and upskill in Data Science. This accredited course was designed to support women returners in their personal and professional development through building confidence, employability skills, and professional skills needed to re-enter the job market.
Dates:
February – March 2022
Scope:
Equate Scotland worked with four cohorts on the following training topics: Building Confidence and Managing Change, Assertive Communications, Building Resilience, Getting the most out of your network, CV & Applications skills, Networking Skills, Reskilling & Upskilling.
Beneficiaries:
Working women looking to change careers and women looking to return to the STEM workplace.
Results:
There was a significant level of engagement and interests in Equate’s session. A legacy of this project was further career support to the learners which included free CV reviews and career coaching advice.
Partner:
Code Division
6. Women into Tech project
Project Overview:
The Women in Tech (WiT) was to support women apprentices, students studying tech subjects, as well as women working in tech and digital roles, to encourage them to progress their careers in tech.
Dates:
September 2021 – February 2023
Scope:
This Skills Development Scotland (SDS) were the funders for this project, where one of the key requirements was to deliver the project via the Participants Centred Planning Framework (PCPF). The PCPF was a tool which was a previous SDS project called Role Models in Tech. The WiT project established a baseline through consulting eighty stakeholders which identified three areas of focus: lack of awareness of digital jobs, challenges for women studying in predominantly male environments, and lack of access and support in schools.
Equate Scotland was involved in the delivery of four workshops. This included three skills webinar and one in-person workshop. The themes the workshops covered were how to work on personal development, looking at different types of bias, developing inclusive leadership and peer mentoring skills, and developing skills to run online events. Two of the workshops were anchored on key milestone events: International Women’s Day and the Ada Scot Festival.
Beneficiaries:
Tech students, career returners, and career changers.
Results:
We worked with forty-six attendees across four workshops. Participants self reported increased awareness of the importance of their own roles in the sector, and the participants also self-reported an increase in confidence to influence decisions in their sector.
Partners:
WiT was a collaboration between Edinburgh Napier University and University of Stirling, working with Equate Scotland and Ada.Scot, funded by Skills Development Scotland.
7. Women in STEM Indonesia
Project Overview:
The purpose of this project was to strengthen pathways into employment for female Indonesian STEM graduates by developing a blueprint of training intiatives and workshops which can be delivered by University’s career services. The project specifically aimed to address the gender equality gap in STEM workforce and empower Indonesian female graduates to pursue a high-skilled career in the STEM field.
Date:
2023
Scope:
Equate provided consultancy service in the following areas-
- Consultancy of research findings, providing advice on training and workshop contents and reviewing training and workshop materials
- Supporting the visit of the research team partners to Equate Scotland
- Participation of the research team in ENU Mentoring Short Course delivered by Equate Scotland
Beneficiaries:
Female STEM graduates in Indonesia, University career service teams.
Results:
- Developed a replicable blueprint for training and workshops.
- Enhanced capacity of career services to support gender equality in STEM.
- Facilitated knowledge exchange between the UK and Indonesian institutions.
Partners:
Edinburgh Napier University, Widya Mandala University, Indonesia
