OUP voted runner-up for ‘Most Dynamic Organisation’

We have been partnering with Moving Ahead to support cross-company mentoring since 2018. During this time, 70 mentees and 70 mentors have taken part in the 30% Club, a nine-month mentoring journey to support career development.

Last year, we expanded our participation and piloted a new mentoring programme: Mission Include. Mission Include aims to develop high potential mentees from all protected characteristics as well as broader diversity strands such as socioeconomic background, neurodiversity, and all intersectionality’s.

We are delighted to be voted runner-up for ‘Most Dynamic Organisation of the year’ on Mission Include, recognizing our efforts to accelerate Diversity and Inclusion at OUP with wider mentoring and development programmes.

Speaking about the award, Liz Dimmock, CEO and Founder of Moving Ahead said: ‘We were impressed by OUP’s commitment to nurturing and embedding a companywide mentoring culture for continuous learning and development. We are delighted to hear that your organisation has implemented wider mentoring initiatives to support a wide range of employees and that the 30% Club’s mission is a key part of your DE&I strategy.’

Embedding the external mentoring programme, and as part of our wider commitment to creating a place where everyone can develop and thrive, we launched the ELEVATE development programme, recognizing that some people may face underlying barriers to their progression and development, and therefore, require more support for growth. The programme offers the participants a range of tailored learning and development opportunities that meets their unique requirements on their career aspirations.

Shweta, a mentee from the Mission Include programme said: ‘One of my key learnings from the program is that development involves finding a passion as much as learning for career advancement, and this brings the necessity of investing in yourself and owning your growth. Also, I learnt that we are quick to celebrate our successes. However, failures can also be seen as source of insight and opportunity for growth if we can only find the courage to go there. A great mentoring program like this one can provide a safe non-judgmental space that allows one to explore their strengths and weaknesses and other themes on ones journey to realising their dreams and chosen goals.’

Read more about our D&I efforts in our recently published Responsible Publishing Report here.