28-10-09 VOSA Wins Prestigious Diversity Award
VOSA’s operating and licensing team in Leeds have won the prestigious Engagement and Involvement category at the third annual Civil Service Equality and Diversity awards ceremony last night.
The team won the award for their recruitment campaign to increase the ethnic diversity of staff at their Leeds office by targeting their campaign in the local community.
The VOSA team and other award winners are being honoured for their dedication in encouraging diversity and helping some of the most vulnerable people in society.
The awards celebrate individuals and teams from around the country who have shown outstanding achievement in promoting equality and diversity in the Civil Service and the delivery of public services.
Alastair Peoples Chief Executive of VOSA said: “We are delighted to have won this award and are extremely proud of our team in Leeds who have worked so hard at achieving a new, diverse workforce.
We will be continuing to develop and promote diversity across the whole organisation sharing best practice with our Civil Service colleagues ensuring, VOSA fully reflects the diverse society we live in today.
Their innovative and impressive scheme within the local community shows how working for the Civil Service can bring real change in people’s lives and can evoke a real sense of achievement.”
Civil servants from around the country were honoured at the awards ceremony for their dedication in encouraging diversity and helping some of the most vulnerable members of society.
Sir Gus O’Donnell, Cabinet Secretary and Head of the Civil Service, who presented the awards, said: “I am proud to lead a Civil Service that is delivering on equality and diversity and changing to meet the evolving needs of the society we serve. Your stories and successes shows how civil servants go out of their way to reach the most vulnerable improve opportunities and raise aspirations.
He added “I want the Civil Service to embrace a full range of perspectives, backgrounds, experiences and skills - that is the best chance we have of understanding the people we serve. We should set an example to other employers in the way we value our people, invest in their development and create a culture that is inclusive and welcoming to all.”
-ENDS-
Notes to editors
VOSA (Vehicle and Operator Services Agency) is responsible for:
• Processing applications for licences to operate lorries and buses and registering bus services
• Operating and administering testing schemes for all vehicles, including the supervision of the MOT testing scheme
• Enforcing the law on vehicles to ensure that they comply with legal standards and regulations
• Enforcing drivers' hours and licensing requirements
• Supporting Traffic Commissioners to help them make informed decisions on operator licensing, vocational drivers and bus registration requirements
• Providing training and advice for commercial operators
• Investigating vehicle accidents, defects and recalls.
For media inquiries about VOSA, please contact: Libby Cottingham on 0117 9543208 or e-mail: press@vosa.gov.uk
Page last updated: 28/10/2009