AIRAH Awards 2023: Woolworths recognised for Excellence in Diversity and Inclusion

Woolworths Group has won the award for Excellence in Diversity and Inclusion at the AIRAH Awards 2023.

Woolworths Group launched its refrigeration apprenticeship program in 2020, seeing the opportunity to address the industry-wide skills shortage, an ageing workforce, and a lack of diversity in the RAC industry. It also aligned with the business’s commitment to roll out sustainable refrigeration technology.

Since the launch of the program, four cohorts of refrigeration apprentices have joined the company and are now thriving in their careers across Australia. Pleasingly, 35 per cent of these apprentices are women, compared to an industry average of 1 per cent.

The Excellence in Diversity and Inclusion award recognises and celebrates individuals and organisations that have shown leadership in their efforts, initiatives, policies, programs and practices to embrace and foster truly inclusive levels of representation within their ranks. Nominees in this category might be acknowledged for efforts such as community service, professional development, hiring practices and programming activities that enhance opportunities for people of diverse cultures, background and experiences.