NSG Group has been awarded the ‘Strengthening business through people’ award at the Glass Focus awards 2024, for initiatives to support, empower and develop women in the workplace.
On the award, British Glass said, “from internal campaigns and events, to apprenticeships and networks, they have showcased the glass sector as a space where women can thrive.”
At NSG Group, we understand that fostering a culture of inclusion that welcomes people from all backgrounds is essential. It helps us attract diverse talent, improve employee retention, spark innovation and new ideas, increase profitability, and enhance our reputation.
In the UK, we recognise that we need to increase the diversity of our current and future workforce, and are undertaking an action plan to ensure female colleagues in particular are engaged and want to stay here, and are upskilled, empowered and encouraged to grow and develop for future roles within the business.
Some of the initiatives include:
UPSKILLING: We offer a Women in Leadership (WiL) Level 5 apprenticeship to all UK-based female colleagues who aspire to be, or are currently working, in management roles (many graduates have already developed into new roles or increased responsibility in their areas).
ENGAGING: We ran an extensive International Women’s Day campaign, which offered an in-person and live streamed/recorded panel discussion event with females and allies at all stages of their careers, alongside videos and career pathway case studies to showcase female leaders’ experiences.
EMPOWERING: We’ve been promoting the NSG Group UK Women’s Network, a staff-led resource group, which has seen increased membership, with purpose and a calendar of events determined by participants.
TACKLING GRASS ROOTS CHALLENGES: We’re running local school STEM sessions, which include primary and secondary school science assembly/workshops with female R&D/engineering colleagues encouraging girls to undertake hands-on science experiments and promote STEM careers for women.
EDUCATION: We run ‘Lunch and Learn’ digital information sessions for all UK staff (including men) on menopause and other health, wellbeing, and DEI topics.
INFORMATION: We launched a new global DEI SharePoint site detailing our goals for change, Women’s Network information (including tips on setting up a new network to empower staff), and links to the latest DEI news being shared on Viva Engage.
PARTNERSHIPS: We’ve promoted the launch of a new ‘Diverse suppliers initiative’ which looks to develop a supply chain that integrates businesses owned by diverse individuals or groups, including women.
On the award win, Emma Neal, HR Director UK and Global Functions, said: “We are absolutely thrilled to have won this award, which recognises some of the great initiatives that have been taking places across NSG Group. It was great to be able to collect it on behalf of all the people who make these initiatives happen, from colleagues taking time to attend school visits or completing Women in Leadership apprenticeships, to those running the women’s network and internal events or encouraging team members to take part in activities. While we have a long way to go, we can be really proud of the steps we’ve taken so far to support our DEI ambitions, and I’d like to thank everyone involved for playing their part.”
A new, global NSG Group DEI strategy was launched earlier this year, sharing our ambitious targets with a data-driven approach to future targets and improvement plans.
Through innovative initiatives that nurture female talent with real impact, and working collaboratively with our colleagues, suppliers and partners, we are excited to be playing a pivotal role in increasing diversity and showcasing NSG Group, and the glass sector, as a space where women can thrive.