Why work at Education?

The department's Diversity Inclusion and Belonging Strategy outlines our commitment and focus on ensuring our workplaces reflect the communities we serve, where our staff can proudly be themselves and do their best work. We recognise that this will drive the best outcomes for our students. It requires us to engage with and understand our communities, celebrate the value of diversity and remove systemic barriers to inclusion, participation and wellbeing for LGBTQIA+ employees.

How we support our commitment

There are many ways in which our department supports its' commitment to LGBQTIA+ staff. These include:

• Pride in Education, our staff network for LGBTQIA+ employees and allies has been growing since it launched in 2020. Pride in Education provides opportunities for LGBTQIA+ staff and allies to build connection and community, build awareness and celebrate.

• The Trans, Gender Diverse, Intersex and Non-Binary stream in Pride in Education is committed to ensuring access to information and safety for all trans, gender diverse and intersex people.

• Celebration, visibility and recognition of important LGBTQIA+ dates, including Wear It Purple Day, International Day Against LGBTQIA+ Discrimination, and our participation in the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras parade.

• The Diversity and Inclusion team can support LGBTQIA+ people through the recruitment process, including guidance on what may need to be provided for trans and gender diverse applicants.

• ACON’s Pride in Diversity – as a member since 2021, we use the Australian Workplace Equality Index (AWEI), a tool for benchmarking and embedding LGBTQ+ workplace inclusion. In 2024, AWEI recognised the department as a silver-tier organisation.