We ask these questions to make sure we have lots of different people applying for apprenticeships. The questions are optional but without it, it’s difficult for Tiro to improve diversity and inclusivity as we don’t know who’s out there.
To offer equal opportunities, prevent discrimination and support under-represented groups, it’s essential to monitor our work. We can change what we measure. Data helps us measure success and enables us to identify which of our approaches work and which don’t. At Tiro we monitor to inform decisions on where to direct our resources and services so we can provide better support to under-represented groups. It helps us to plan for the future, invest resources wisely and deliver our services in the right way. We can’t improve – or improve the science and technology community we serve – without your help.
Tiro strives to be an inclusive organisation and is determined to meet the aims and commitments set in our diversity and equal opportunities policy, which is in line with the Equality Act 2010. We want the science and technology industry to reflect the diversity of the UK.
The Equality Act 2010 lists nine protected characteristics:
– age
– being or becoming a trans person (*gender identity)
– being married or in a civil partnership
– being pregnant or on maternity leave
– disability
– race, including colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin (*ethnicity)
– religion, belief or lack of religion/belief
– sex (*sex as a term is often referred to as ‘gender’)
– sexual orientation
Tiro aims to go beyond legal requirements and considers additional measures of inclusivity including:
– caring responsibilities and returnships (including parents and carers re-entering the industry)
– employment status
– geographical location (including representation of nations and regions)
– socio-economic background
Data Protection
We’re all told to be careful about sharing our personal information, in case it should fall into the wrong hands. It is quite sensible to protect your personal information. But when you give information to Tiro, you can be sure we deal with the data responsibly, in accordance with the law.
All of the information we collect is processed in accordance with General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) and any other applicable data protection legislation in the UK. For more information explaining how we use your data please see our privacy policy.
Why do we ask these questions?
Right to work in the UK / Have you lived in the UK for 3 years of more
Apprenticeships are government funded and as such they put in place eligibility criteria, they have stipulated candidates for apprenticeships need to have lived in the UK for 3 years and as apprenticeships are also jobs, you need to have the right to work in the UK.
Eligibility for free school meals at any point during your school years.
Although socio-economic background is not a protected characteristic under the Equality Act 2010, understanding social mobility and the social and economic background of the workforce is considered key in helping to form an accurate picture of how open and accessible an industry is. This question was devised to begin to monitor opportunities for people from different socio-economic backgrounds.
Age:
According to a parliamentary report in January 2019, the UK youth unemployment rate is 11.7%, which means more than 500,000 people aged 16-24 are unemployed. To improve employment opportunities for under-represented age groups, the Office of National Statistics recommends requesting a date of birth then assessing accumulated data in age brackets according to standard census classification.
Do you consider yourself to have a disability, impairment, learning difference or long-term condition?
According to a parliamentary report, only 51.3% of people with disabilities of working age (16-64) were employed in 2018, compared to 81.4% of people without disabilities. This question was devised to monitor and improve employment opportunities for people with disabilities.
What best describes your ethnic group?
According to a parliamentary report from March 2018 the UK unemployment rate was 6.3% for people from Black, Asian and Ethnic backgrounds ,compared to 3.6% for people from a White background. To monitor and improve employment opportunities for people from different ethnic backgrounds, this question was devised in consultation with ACAS and categories are established by the Office of National Statistics.
What best describes your gender?
A parliamentary report from March 2018 indicated that the female employment rate was 70.8% compared to 79.7% for men. To monitor and improve employment and training opportunities for under-represented groups including women, this question was devised in consultation with ACAS and the categories are taken from the ACAS Equality and Diversity Monitoring Form.
Do you identify as trans?
Why we ask this question: According to Stonewall’s LGBT in Britain: Trans Report 2017, one in eight trans employees (12%) has been physically attacked by colleagues or customers in the last year, and half of trans and non-binary people (51% and 50% respectively) have hidden or disguised the fact that they are LGBT at work because they were afraid of discrimination. In order to monitor and improve the workplace experience of trans people, this question was devised in consultation with Stonewall and taken from their guidance Do Ask, Do Tell.
What best describes your sexual orientation?
Why we ask this question: According to Stonewall’s LGBT in Britain: Work report 2018, almost one in five LGBT people (18%) who were looking for work said they were discriminated against because of their sexual orientation and/or gender identity while trying to get a job in the last year. More than a third of LGBT staff (35%) have hidden or disguised that they are LGBT at work in the last year because they were afraid of discrimination. To monitor and improve workplace experience for LGBT people, this question was devised in consultation with Stonewall and taken from their guidance Do Ask, Do Tell.
What best describes your religion or belief?
Why we ask this question: According to a parliamentary report from 2016, Muslims have the lowest employment rate at 47.2% of all religious groups and face the highest pay gap compared with those of no religion, earning 22.5% less. This question was devised using Office of National Statistics categories to monitor and improve employment opportunities for people from different religious backgrounds.
What type of school did you mainly attend between the ages of 11 and 16?
Although socio-economic background is not a protected characteristic under the Equality Act 2010, understanding social mobility and the social and economic background of the workforce is considered key in helping to form an accurate picture of how open and accessible an industry is. This question was devised in consultation with the Bridge Group to begin to monitor opportunities for people from different socio-economic backgrounds.
What region do you currently live in?
In order to improve employment opportunities across nations and regions, this question was devised to build a more accurate picture of the geographical spread of the UK science and technology workforce.
Do you have caring responsibilities?
In order to monitor employment opportunities for people with caring responsibilities, this question was devised in consultation with ACAS and taken from the ACAS Equality and Diversity Monitoring Form.
Are you returning to work following an extended period (12 months or more) of absence?
This question was devised in consultation with Carers UK to monitor, create and improve opportunities for returners.
Are you married or in a civil partnership?
Marital status is one of the protected characteristics in the Equality Act. In order to monitor employment opportunities for people who are married or in a civil partnership, this question was devised in consultation with ACAS and taken from the ACAS Equality and Diversity Monitoring Form.
In the past 12 months, what has been your employment status for the majority of that time?
This question was devised to monitor and improve employment opportunities. It uses the terminology that is also used by ACAS.