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Diversity & Inclusion

Equality, Diversity & Inclusion are at the heart of what we do at BMet. We are passionate about offering inclusive working and learning environments where everyone is treated with dignity and respect and is able to participate, progress and thrive at, and beyond, college.

What does Equality, Diversity & Inclusion mean?

Equality is about ensuring everyone has equal access to employment, education, facilities and services. It’s also about ensuring everyone has the same chance to succeed, whilst recognising that everyone has different needs.  Read more about Equality Monitoring.

Diversity is about our differences; differences in background, experiences, interests, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, religion, belief, age, and ability. It is about recognising, accepting, respecting and celebrating all those differences that make us unique as well as strengthening our relationships with each other.

Inclusion is about everyone being there and being a part of it! It’s about being valued for who you are. BMet is committed to creating a positive and accessible environment where everyone can access and enjoy what the college has to offer.

What does this mean for me? Click here to view FAQ’s.

Inclusive culture

BMet continues work to drive an inclusive culture across the college.

Our focus for 2020-2024 is to strengthen our diversity and improve inclusion and belonging across our college and local communities. You can take a look at our guiding principles for diversity and inclusion, our four year objectives and our strategic action plan here.  (Click here to view all our diversity and inclusion reports)

BMet also takes a zero-tolerance approach to any incidents of hate, harassment, bullying, threatening or intimidating behaviour including, but not limited to: homophobia, biphobia, transphobia, sexual harassment, disablism, racism, islamophobia, anti-Semitism and other religious hatred.

The college has adopted the IHRA (International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance) definition of anti-Semitism.  See here for all definitions.

The college uses a range of measures including educational events and activities, training and workshops to raise understanding and awareness and to develop diversity and inclusion skills. We take any allegation of hate or harassment extremely seriously and take disciplinary action in the event of any substantiated claim.

Our name

There has been much debate across the country around building names, statues and historical figures and their connections to slavery.

While this is an important debate it doesn’t necessarily mean re-naming or removing historical figures.

It is imperative that there is a balanced narrative so as not to erase history but to ensure that we learn from it.

We have been asked about the relationship of James Watt to slavery and therefore whether there is a need to review the name of the College.

Our understanding is that James Watt became opposed to slavery and supported abolition.

He was a member of the Lunar Society who were people of science and industry who met each month in Birmingham around the time of the full moon to discuss science, technology, philosophy and social change – including the movement to abolish the slave trade which they supported. But it is true that companies powered by the slave trade did use Boulton and Watt engines.

After a slave revolt in the French West Indian colony of San Domingo, which is now Haiti, Watt stopped his engines being sent to the island because he deplored slavery.

He also cared for the health of his workers. Boulton and Watt set up sick pay and welfare programmes at the Soho Foundry for their workers and in Smethwick in 1796 and 1801 they built rows of houses for their people.

For these reasons we will not be renaming our colleges.

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