Equal Opportunities Policy Statment The aim of the Skills Team Equal Opportunities Policy is to ensure that no beneficiary, learner, job applicant or employee is unfairly discriminated against because of their age, sex, marital status, national origin, race, colour, religion, political belief, employment status, class or because of any disability, because of any special training need, because or their sexual orientation, or because of any unrelated criminal conviction. All applicants for training, promotion and employment will be asked to provide anonymous statistical information on their age, gender, economic status, ethnic origin, special needs and other characteristics. These statistics will be used solely for the purposes of monitoring the effectiveness of this policy. Those with special needs shall be assessed on equal terms with those candidates without special needs, but will be allowed to use whatever support aids they can typically expect to use in the workplace in the routine performance of the tasks being assessed. Additional time will be allowed in those assessments where time scales are not a critical factor stipulated by the relevant body provided that this does not invalidate the assessment of competence for the role concerned. All special needs cases requesting variations to the standard assessment procedure will be discussed with either the Equal Opportunities Commission or other suitable and independent body. Advertisements for new employees and the marketing activities in connection with the products of the company shall be consistent with equal opportunity and will not contravene this policy. As an integral part of its Quality Programme, a continuous process of monitoring, review and evaluation is operated by the company and any necessary changes implemented to maintain these standards. The selection, promotion and transfer of employees both within and between departments is based on suitability for the role, where an individual's suitability and merit are the only criteria. In addition, the enrolment and acceptance of students will not take into account factors that would amount to discrimination. This policy extends to the complaints, grievance and disciplinary procedures that will be conducted without consideration of disability or any other factor. All employees and agents of the Company have personal responsibility for the practical application of this equal opportunities policy. The grievance procedure is available to any employee who believes that he or she may have been unfairly discriminated against. Disciplinary action will be taken against any employee who is found to have committed an act of unlawful discrimination. Sexual or racial harassment will be treated as gross misconduct. The company has a designated equal opportunities champion whose role is to implement and monitor compliance with the agreed equal opportunities strategy and ensure that targets are met. The company has a recruitment and selection process that promotes equality of opportunity.