Today, science and technology hub Catalyst has been awarded the Silver Diversity Mark, recognising its commitment to creating an inclusive and diverse workplace.
The Silver Accreditation is awarded by Diversity Mark, an independent panel of assessors helping companies navigate the Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) Landscape.
Diversity Mark recognises Catalyst’s progress in creating a working environment where employees of all backgrounds, feel valued, safe, and respected across all aspects of the company’s culture.
Catalyst is one of only 15 organisations and the only not-for-profit in Northern Ireland to have achieved silver status, sharing a platform with others such as Deloitte, Allstate, and Queen’s University Belfast.
Building upon their bronze status in 2020 where Catalyst focused on creating a gender diverse company culture, the Silver Accreditation recognises the organisations ongoing commitment and continuous progress to advancing diversity and inclusion in other areas of social mobility and the LGBTQ+ community.
Shauna Collins, Director of HR at Catalyst, said: “To be accredited as a silver company is a fantastic achievement for Catalyst and we are in great company with forward-thinking local and multi-national companies based here who are all committed to making their workplaces as progressive and inclusive as possible.
“To go from achieving the Bronze Diversity Mark in 2020 to being awarded Silver in 2022 is something we are very proud of and a testament to the efforts of our DEI employee group and the commitment of the wider organisation.
“Diversity and inclusion are a part of our company’s DNA and underpins our business strategy focused on creating opportunities for all, both within Catalyst and across Northern Ireland.”
Steve Orr, CEO of Catalyst, said: “This year we launched our 5-year strategy with a vision to create ‘opportunity for all from world-leading innovation’.
“To do this we must make the worlds of entrepreneurship and innovation more inclusive and accessible, especially to those who are furthest from this domain and the benefit felt from it.”
Nuala Murphy, Director at Diversity Mark said: “The Silver Diversity Mark is a true testament to the ongoing progress and commitment at Catalyst to diversity and inclusion. We’d like to extend our congratulations to all of the team and we look forward to seeing more of Catalyst’s innovative initiatives in the future.”
