As one of the world’s largest digital learning platforms with over 18 million users, we know that we have a responsibility to leverage our reach and core skills to help educate the world on inclusion – and that work starts with our own teams.
Here are some diversity and inclusion initiatives that we’re most proud of:
We’re dedicated to improving the overall representation of minority groups across FutureLearn.
The challenging task for recruitment teams to hire diverse talent is now measured not by a quota, but by an ambition to include at least one candidate from a minority background on every shortlist. By doing this, we’ve already achieved an 18% minority hires rate over this year. What gets measured, gets improved.
Our diverse team is what makes us who we are, and because of this we care about having conversations around diversity and inclusion. We also have a colleague support network of champions in areas such as the LGBTQ + community and Disability and Chronic Illness, who help raise awareness.
Our policy states that we have zero tolerance to exclusion and we really mean that. There are no nuances, zero is zero. We have policies to support our colleagues in calling out issues, and ensure we are complying with the Equality Act.
We also have appointed a volunteer Diversity and Inclusion champion amongst staff, acting as another impartial route for conversation. This is an expansion on our existing champion programme, which has helped to support colleagues through mental health issues, bereavement, and domestic abuse.
There are plenty of reasons to be proud of the progress we are making in championing inclusivity, namely our great working environment and the level of diversity in thought and background that FutureLearn attracts:
Our purpose is a commitment to transform online education at its core. Through a recent £50k worth of investment, we’ve significantly increased the number of diverse educators and courses on the platform.
The fund has enabled us to waive fees for partners such as The Black Curriculum, who are developing a course on how to teach Black history. It’s also prompted partners to submit over 20 proposals in courses that cover diversity including D&I training from CIPD, Salary Negotiation for Women from Hustle Crew and A History of Slavery in the British Caribbean from The University of the West Indies and The University of Glasgow.
We continue to financially support current and new partners who are committed to delivering diversity throughout education. Our courses have the ability to celebrate and amplify diverse voices and this will remain our goal as we develop our course portfolio.
