SQA on taking positive steps towards diversity and inclusion

Victoria Moran talks about the progress being made by the Scottish Qualifications Authority to provide opportunities for ethnic minority employees.

I first worked for the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) back in 2008 – I was a temp and then I worked for a design agency for a year, before returning to the SQA in 2010 on a permanent basis. 

Since 2010, I have been promoted five times and had the opportunity to work across different departments in the organisation. My roles have included support officer, team leader, contracts officer and product manager.  In these roles i have worked with various people at different levels across the organisation. I have learned, developed my knowledge of the organisation and improved my skills

Today, I am a data solutions practitioner, which means I work with data and data technology. My role involves a lot of engagement across the business, especially making sure people are aware of the capabilities of our main data tool.  

In my time at SQA, I have seen improvements in inclusion and diversity for employees from Black and Ethnic Minority backgrounds. There is still more work to be done, but we are heading in the right direction. I am a chair of the ACE Network, which stands for “Appreciate culture and ethnicity”.

Our aim is to influence and steer the organisation in terms of how we can continue to improve diversity and inclusivity. A big part of this is our race equality plan. We have asked different stakeholders, such as HR and the Organisational Development team, to engage with us, so we can make changes across all departments. In particular, we are looking to improve recruitment and retention of people from ethnic minorities. 

The network was launched in 2020, just as the impact of the pandemic was starting to be felt, so it is great that we can be more interactive now.

It’s still early days, but we are continuously raising awareness and promoting key events and issues that are important to us. Key events are really important for starting those conversations with people across the whole organisation.  The ACE network has hosted various discussion topics and we are looking to do more of these as we continue to grow not only as a network but SQA as a whole.

We collaborate with other networks wherever we can. Black History Month, for example, was a great way to bring people together and share stories. For Black History Month 2022, we have asked people from other networks to share their role models with us. We aim to learn about so many inspirational people, such as those who work in the NHS and people within their communities, we think it will be a great way to get everyone at SQA involved in the campaign. 

Discussions are another important part of what we do as a network. It is a safe space for people to talk about all sorts of things without fear. For example, we had a really good session on microaggressions. But we don’t just talk about the terrible things that happen. We also celebrate things and share our culture. I have written articles and shared the food from my culture – that is always a great way to bring people together and help everyone understand each other. It is good to do some light-hearted things, as well as our more serious work.

Another important project is our mutual mentoring programme, which we offer as part of our network. It is a non-hierarchical way of mentoring, so it is slightly different to the traditional model of corporate mentoring, where there is a mentor and a mentee. Instead, two people come together to find ways they can help and inspire each other.

Having the buy-in of senior management is very important for the network’s success. We have a sponsor who is an executive and management team member, as well as the backing of the chief executive. It is great to have the support of our most senior people. It definitely has a positive impact when it comes to meeting our vision and objectives.

For me personally, I am very happy and content with my position at SQA. I think it is because I am so happy in my role that I feel I am in a position where I can contribute and influence, build momentum and keep the network going on the path we have already created. We want to bring activities to SQA that help raise awareness, educate people across the business, offer clear information – and still have plenty of fun and food along the way.