Deadline extension for diversity and inclusion awards

The deadline for entries for the 2020 AFBE-UK Scotland Diversity and Inclusion Awards has been extended to the end of July.

AFBE-UK Scotland’s (Association for Black and Minority Ethnic Engineers Scotland) event will honour diversity and inclusion achievements in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) in Scotland and across the UK. The event is scheduled to be held at the Ardoe House Hotel, near Aberdeen, on Thursday, November 26, 2020.

Award categories include Young BME (black minority ethnic), Professional of the Year, Company of the Year, Outstanding Mentor and BME Leader of the Year. Colette Cohen, CEO of the Oil and Gas Technology Centre (OGTC), is the keynote speaker for the event. The final deadline for entries is Friday, July 31.

Dr Ollie Folayan, AFBE-UK Scotland chair, said: “Our event is an incredible opportunity to celebrate the successes of those who champion diversity and inclusion in engineering and other sectors. The entry deadline has been extended to capture more of these great stories.”

Previous winners have come from a broad range of sectors including energy, education and IT.

AFBE-UK, was founded in 2007, and opened its Aberdeen chapter in 2011 to expand its support of students and professionals from under-represented backgrounds.

Programmes hosted by the social enterprise include NextGen, where engineering is introduced as a career choice to pupils; Real Projects, which provides students with insight from leading industry professionals, and Transition – a platform for developing CV and interview skills.

The organisation is currently hosting webinars for various age groups and professional backgrounds in STEM subjects as well as thought-provoking discussions that reflect today’s society.