Tourism operator wins top diversity award

The South Island firm is one of the biggest maritime training employers, second only to the Navy.

Tourism operator wins top diversity award

A South Island tourism giant has been named the winner of one of New Zealand’s most prestigious diversity awards thanks to its impressive inter-generational training program.

Real Journeys – which operates a number of ships and sailing vessels – won the Tomorrow’s Workforce Award and the Supreme Award at last night’s Diversity Awards New Zealand.

The win comes after the company created a scheme to leverage the experience of its aging workers in order to provide exceptional learning opportunities for young people in the local area.

The organisation pairs new workers with those who are close to retirement in order to facilitate the transfer of skills and give older staff a greater purpose.

"The benefits of the maritime training have been increased engagement levels, more satisfaction around the leadership development opportunities that we offer, the respect that is given to our elder workers who are experienced and skilled and been in the industry for so long and the opportunities for the next generation coming through," said Kevin Sharpe, director of people and performance at Real Journeys.

Bev Cassidy-Mackenzie, chief executive of Diversity Works NZ, praised the company for its hard work.

“Real Journeys is not just learning about diversity and inclusion, it’s living it every day as part of its operation,” she said. "They are deserving winners and prove that diversity and inclusion is not solely the domain of corporations based in big cities; it’s alive and well in heartland New Zealand.”

The initiative places Real Journeys as the second largest maritime training employer in New Zealand – second only to the Navy.

The full list of winners from the 20th annual Diversity Awards New Zealand is:

 

Diversity Awards NZ 2017 Award winners

Supreme Award – Real Journeys

Tomorrow’s Workforce Award – Real Journeys

Empowerment Award – Air New Zealand

Skills Highway Award – Waste Management NZ Ltd

Positive Inclusion Award – ANZ

Cultural Celebration Award – Māori Women’s Development Inc

Diversability Award – Coffee Educators Ltd

Work Life Balance Award – Lion

Walk the Talk Award – Fatu Patolo, Coca-Cola Amatil

Emerging Diversity and Inclusion Award – The Warehouse Group

 

Highly Commended Awards

Russell McVeagh – Tomorrow’s Workforce

Fletcher Building Limited – Emerging Diversity and Inclusion Award

Elizabeth Knox Home & Hospital – Cultural Celebration Award

Recent articles & video

Teacher censured for accessing porn on school-issued laptop

Carpool woes: Worker claims additional pay for driving colleagues to work

'Tougher market' ahead for jobseekers as NZ enters recession

Talent mobility: What’s the most challenging country for remote workers?

Most Read Articles

Employer assigns manager to smaller area – is it constructive dismissal?

Fired over colleagues' opinion?

Employer fined $20,000 for not complying with enforcement order: reports