Shrewsbury College celebrates our commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion at the WorldSkills UK EDI Heroes Awards.
We believe that everyone, regardless of their background, deserves the best start in work and life, so we were thrilled to have been recognised for our proactive approach to equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI). Our very own Daniel Blasczyk represented the college at the WorldSkills UK EDI Heroes Awards 2025.
These prestigious awards honour educational institutions that are leading initiatives to support EDI across the sector, including higher education, further education, and technical vocational education and training. With 300 institutions applying, only 21 made it through to the finals, so we were thrilled to be on the shortlist for 'Institution of the Year' alongside The Manchester Metropolitan University and The City of Liverpool College. All three of us were formally recognised for our outstanding work at Westminster earlier this week.
For our part, our work includes an ongoing hashtag #Proudtobe campaign, which encompasses various EDI initiatives such as the hashtag #WhiteRibbon campaign (calling out violence against women) and hashtag #InternationalMensDay, where we encourage men to speak openly about mental health. Two years ago the college launched a Pan disability football team as part of our inclusive enrichment programme, and now we are delighted to say that 85 students take part in the activity every week. It is initiatives like these that earned us a place as finalists.
Dan Blasczyk commented, "I'm really proud to be here representing Shrewsbury Colleges Group in Westminster as a finalist. It's nice to be in a room full of people who are creating a better society with the young people we work with every day. Huge congrats to Manchester Metropolitan University for a great win, I hope to see you there next year!"