A Bristol-based space recruitment company was invited to the White House to present its vision for promoting equality in the space sector.
Established in 2019, EVONA's co-founders Ryan Hill, Richard Joyce, Tom Kelly and Jack Madley where invited to the Space STEM Forum in Washington to discuss diversity, inclusion and the power of space to improve life on Earth. EVONA's chief executive, Mr Kelly, was invited to return to the White House for a subsequent meeting and roundtable discussion with Space industry leaders, hosted by the National Space council.
鈥淏eing invited to speak at the White House was a dream come true for us,鈥 commented Mr Joyce, EVONA co-founder. 鈥淭he focus was on understanding the current and future needs of a space-based STEM workforce, and we had the opportunity to offer profound insights and innovative strategies to bridge the skills gap and foster innovation in the space industry.
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"We started this company from a kitchen table with a mission to create a more diverse, equal and inclusive space sector, so we鈥檙e incredibly grateful to have this vision recognised on such an enormous scale.鈥
Mr Kelly added: 鈥淭his isn鈥檛 a knee jerk reaction to statistics, this is us listening to the companies we work with and understanding the value they place on diversity.
鈥淭hey know diversity is one of the main drivers of growth and innovation, but they don鈥檛 realise that inclusion is the key to achieving this. It鈥檚 no good bringing people you perceive as diverse into your team for the sake of ticking boxes. Tokenism inevitably leads to employee turnover, because these individuals feel no sense of belonging or inclusion within your organisation. To build and retain a truly diverse team, you need to offer an environment that will make them proud and excited to work for you. We鈥檙e committed to bridging this gap to ensure a bright future for the space industry.鈥
Standing at 89% white and 72% male, with 2% having a disability, the space sector has been criticised for its lack of diversity and inclusion. Since its inception, EVONA tackled the root causes of the space sector鈥檚 historic lack of diversity.
Mr Joyce continued: 鈥淲ith such a staggering white male monopoly, the industry alienates the diverse backgrounds, perspectives and experiences that can take it to the next level.
鈥淎t EVONA, we made it our mission to change this. By sourcing and supporting passionate candidates, placing a sole focus on skill, we鈥檙e creating a platform for talent that is often overlooked in the space sector. As well as guiding candidates through the interview and onboarding processes, we work with clients to ensure they鈥檙e practising unbiased recruitment and selection.鈥
Mr Kelly added: 鈥淓VONA's achievements so far are a promising sign of what can be accomplished by young and dynamic companies with a strong vision and commitment to positive change. After being named the Lloyds Bank New Business of the Year 2021, we鈥檙e just getting started on our mission to transform the space sector.鈥
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