The Equity Edge is all about shaping tomorrow’s foundation industries, with a focus on equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI), and how it can help us achieve a sustainable and fairer future. This thought-provoking podcast makes the Foundation Industries accessible to a general audience, sparking reflection on EDI and sustainability.

Introduction

TransFIRe is funded by the UKRI Transforming the Foundation Industries challenge fund, set out to develop innovative technology to reduce energy and resource use within the foundation industries – which include the cement, glass, ceramics, paper, metals and bulk chemicals sectors.

TransFIRe is an interdisciplinary research and practice hub with 12 UK research organisations and more than 80 project partners from across the foundation industries, trade associations, professional membership bodies, civic sector and government organisations.

Jo Stansfield acted as a fractional leader for TransFIRe’s Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) programme, reporting to Professor Sue Black OBE, which informs and supports adoption of best practice for EDI within the UK foundation industries and beyond.

The Brief

TransFIRe wanted to produce a podcast to raise awareness of the important work of the Foundation Industries, the drive for sustainability, and the importance of equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI). It was planned for two main target audiences:

  1. The general public: Making them aware of the Foundation Industries and their importance, and awareness and best practice in EDI.
  2. People working in the foundation industries – celebrating their industry’s contribution to our everyday lives, and raising awareness and best practice in EDI.

Our Approach

The Equity Edge podcast was designed to touch into each of the strategic action themes from TransFIRe’s EDI Strategy. The Equity Edge is all about shaping tomorrow’s foundation industries, with a focus on equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI), and how it can help us achieve a sustainable and fairer future.

We invited expert guests from across the foundation industries to discuss topics vital not only for our future workforce, but for the future of the foundation industries.

Outcomes

The podcast brought together themes ranging from gender, race and ethnicity, LGBTQ+, disability, intersectionality and more… to environmental sustainability, decarbonisation and circularity… and on to leadership, early careers and organisational cultures.

The Equity Edge

Impact

The Equity Edge is a podcast that’s innovative, thought-provoking and entertaining. It brings the Foundation Industries to life for a general audience , and prompts us all to reflect deeply on topics of equity, diversity and inclusion, and a sustainable future. 

This groundbreaking series is an enduring resource to educate and inform both about the exciting career opportunities in the Foundation Industries, and key considerations for Foundation Industry businesses for attracting, developing and retaining a diverse and inclusive workforce and creating equitable workplaces. It brings together topics of EDI with transformation for sustainability and circularity to explore links and opportunities unique to the Foundation Industries.  It has sparked new discussions and engagement throughout the Foundation Industries and beyond.

The Equity Edge podcast has become a standout piece in TransFIRe’s EDI and overall programme legacy for industrial transformation for a sustainable and fairer future.

Had the pleasure of joining a diverse and insightful panel on The Equity Edge podcast to discuss the importance of a diverse and inclusive engineering sector for its future. Our discussion, led by fantastic hosts Jo Stansfield, MBCS, FHCA, and Professor Sue Black OBE, covered a wide range of topics. Veronika Elfmarkova, Masoud Ahmadinia, Jack Daly and I shared our insights and experiences, making for a thought-provoking conversation. It was an honour to be part of this important discussion. I encourage everyone to give it a listen.

Dr Ollie Folayan MBE, co-founder Association for Black and Minority Ethnic Engineers (AfBE)
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