NDA helps boost workplace diversity in the north

Part of a panel of 25 organisations, the NDA discussed diversity and inclusion matters facing northern employers, at the Northern Lights event.

Dipak Arya, Group Head of Diversity and Inclusion at the NDA, shared the work and progress on diversity happening across the NDA group.

He spoke of the implications and challenges in diversity for the nuclear sector operating in rural communities. He also highlighted the NDA group’s strategies aimed at attracting a diverse workforce and the focus on supporting women and ethnic minorities to overcome barriers in the industry.

Dipak said:

We’re working at the NDA to transform our businesses into more diverse and inclusive places to work, and we’ve developed strategies and set ourselves targets to enable us to do that.

Taking part in this event gave us an opportunity to share our progress and lessons learnt, learn from the successes of others and join forces with industry to build a stronger network of employers all working towards the same goal.

One of the topics discussed at the virtual event focused on the ongoing work on partnerships with young people and BAME communities.

The event, chaired by Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham and diversity expert Trevor Philips, also posed an opportunity for organisations to share expertise and work together on current and upcoming diversity issues.

The NDA is leading a national programme on improving equality, diversity and inclusion in the nuclear and energy sectors.

This year alone, the organisation has driven its diversity and inclusion improvement agenda through a number of new initiatives, including a focus on flexible and agile working in response to the coronavirus pandemic, a strengthening of its wellbeing and mental health approach and the launch of four new group-wide employee support networks; gender balance, race equality, disability and LGBT+.