1. Purpose

Elite Offshore Academy is committed to creating a training and working environment where every person is treated with dignity, respect and fairness.

This Diversity Policy defines the organisation’s commitment to diversity, equality, inclusion and non-discrimination in all activities, including course enquiry, admission, training delivery, assessment, certification support, employment, contracting, supplier engagement, complaints handling and customer service.

The policy supports safe learning, professional conduct, equal opportunity, learner welfare and compliance with applicable legal, contractual, accreditation and customer requirements.

2. Scope

This policy applies to all directors, employees, trainers, assessors, visiting faculty, consultants, contractors, agents, learners, delegates, candidates, suppliers, partners and any person acting for or on behalf of Elite Offshore Academy.

It applies at the Academy premises, during off-site training, client-site work, online or blended learning, practical exercises, assessments, examinations, accommodation or logistics support, recruitment, marketing, social media and all communication with learners, customers, authorities and partners.

3. Policy Statement

Elite Offshore Academy values diversity and recognises that people bring different skills, experiences, cultures, languages, perspectives and learning needs.

The Academy will not tolerate unlawful discrimination, harassment, bullying, victimisation, intimidation, humiliation, retaliation or unfair treatment on the basis of personal characteristics or background.

All covered persons are expected to behave professionally and respectfully, support inclusive participation, and report concerns that may affect dignity, safety, fairness or equal opportunity.

4. Protected and Personal Characteristics

Elite Offshore Academy will provide fair treatment without discrimination based on nationality, race, colour, caste, ethnic origin, religion, belief, gender, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, disability, language, marital status, pregnancy or maternity, medical condition, economic background, rank, employer, work experience, union membership, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

Decisions must be based on relevant competence, safety, conduct, course prerequisites, assessment evidence, job requirements, contractual requirements and lawful business needs, not stereotypes or personal bias.

5. Equal Opportunity in Admissions and Learner Access

Course information, prerequisites, fees, duration, learning outcomes, certificate conditions and assessment requirements should be communicated clearly and consistently before enrolment wherever practicable.

Admission and participation decisions must be fair and based on lawful requirements such as age limits, medical fitness, identity verification, prior qualifications, sea-service or industry experience, language competence, safety suitability and course-specific prerequisites.

Learners must not be denied access, treated unfavourably, discouraged from participation or offered inferior service because of personal characteristics unrelated to the course requirement.

Where a learner requires support due to disability, language, literacy, medical condition or other legitimate need, the Academy shall consider reasonable adjustments that do not compromise safety, assessment integrity or approval requirements.

6. Inclusive Training and Assessment

Trainers and assessors shall create a respectful learning environment where questions are welcomed, discipline is applied fairly, and learners are not humiliated or singled out because of background, language, rank, employer, gender, disability or experience level.

Teaching examples, practical grouping, classroom interaction and assessment administration should be handled in a way that encourages participation and avoids offensive stereotypes or exclusionary assumptions.

Assessment must be based on valid evidence of competence and required attendance, not personal relationships, bias, pressure, payment status, employer identity, nationality, gender or other irrelevant factors.

Reasonable support may be provided to help learners understand instructions and training requirements, but it must not alter required competence standards or compromise the validity of assessment results.

7. Respectful Workplace and Learning Environment

All persons must avoid behaviour that may reasonably be considered discriminatory, harassing, bullying, threatening, sexually inappropriate, verbally abusive, insulting, degrading or offensive.

Examples of unacceptable conduct include racist or caste-based remarks, sexist comments, mocking accents or language ability, jokes about religion or disability, unwanted personal attention, intimidation, public humiliation, exclusion from group activity without reason, and retaliation for raising a concern.

Constructive feedback, safety correction and disciplinary instructions are permitted where they are professional, proportionate, respectful and related to legitimate training, safety or conduct requirements.

8. Reasonable Accommodation and Accessibility

Elite Offshore Academy shall consider reasonable accommodation requests from learners, employees or visitors where practicable and lawful.

Examples may include accessible seating, modified communication format, additional explanation of instructions, adjusted scheduling where feasible, assistance with forms, safe participation planning, or referral to appropriate support.

No accommodation shall be made where it would create an unacceptable safety risk, invalidate an assessment, breach approval requirements, misrepresent competence, or impose a disproportionate burden. Where accommodation cannot be provided, the reason should be explained respectfully and recorded where appropriate.

9. Language, Communication and Cultural Sensitivity

The Academy recognises that offshore, marine and industrial training may involve learners from different regions, languages and work cultures.

Key safety instructions, emergency requirements, assessment expectations and administrative conditions should be communicated clearly, using simple professional language wherever possible.

Employees and trainers should remain culturally sensitive while maintaining required standards for safety, attendance, discipline, identity verification, assessment integrity and certification.

10. Recruitment, Employment and Development

Recruitment, selection, promotion, work allocation, training, performance review, disciplinary action and termination decisions shall be based on competence, qualifications, experience, conduct, performance, availability, safety suitability and business requirements.

Job advertisements, interviews and selection processes should avoid discriminatory wording, irrelevant personal questions or criteria that unfairly exclude candidates unless required by law, safety, accreditation or genuine occupational need.

Employees should have fair access to relevant training, mentoring, feedback and development opportunities based on role needs and performance.

11. Suppliers, Contractors, Agents and Partners

Suppliers, contractors, agents and partners are expected to support respectful and non-discriminatory conduct when dealing with Elite Offshore Academy personnel, learners, customers and visitors.

Partners providing accommodation, transport, training support, equipment, marketing or administrative services must not exploit, harass, discriminate against or mistreat learners or staff.

Where serious or repeated concerns arise, management may investigate, require corrective action, suspend the arrangement or remove the supplier or partner from approved lists.

12. Marketing, Public Communication and Learner Images

Marketing, website content, social media, photographs, testimonials and promotional material should present learners and staff respectfully and should not reinforce harmful stereotypes or misleading claims.

Use of learner or employee images, testimonials, names, employer details or personal stories should be authorised and handled with dignity and privacy.

Public communication should reflect the Academy’s commitment to professional training, fair access, safety, competence and respect.

13. Complaints and Reporting

Any person may raise a concern about discrimination, harassment, bullying, exclusion, victimisation, accessibility barriers, unfair assessment treatment or any conduct inconsistent with this policy.

Reports may be made to the immediate supervisor, Training Manager, Management Representative, Compliance Officer, or by email to info@eliteoffshore.com. Complaints from learners or customers should be recorded, acknowledged and handled impartially.

Where possible, reports should include relevant dates, persons involved, witnesses, messages, documents, photographs or other evidence. Lack of complete evidence should not prevent a person from raising a concern in good faith.

14. Non-Retaliation

Retaliation against any person who raises a concern in good faith, supports another person, provides evidence or cooperates in an investigation is prohibited.

Retaliation may include threats, intimidation, exclusion, adverse assessment treatment, unfair work allocation, dismissal, denial of services or any other adverse action linked to the complaint.

Malicious or knowingly false complaints may lead to corrective or disciplinary action, but honest reports that are not substantiated will not be treated as misconduct.

15. Investigation and Corrective Action

Elite Offshore Academy shall review diversity-related concerns promptly, fairly and confidentially as far as practicable.

Investigation may include interviews, review of classroom records, attendance records, assessment evidence, CCTV or access logs where lawful, emails, messages, photographs, witness accounts and other relevant material.

Corrective action may include counselling, apology, mediation, retraining, reassessment, revised communication, accessibility improvement, supplier action, disciplinary action, termination, withdrawal from training, or reporting to authorities where required.

16. Responsibilities

Management shall lead by example, communicate this policy, provide resources, monitor compliance, review complaints and ensure appropriate corrective action.

Trainers and assessors shall maintain a respectful learning environment, apply rules fairly, avoid bias, support reasonable adjustments where approved, and report concerns.

Administrative and sales personnel shall provide accurate and respectful communication, apply enrolment and refund processes fairly, protect personal information and avoid discriminatory treatment.

Learners and delegates shall respect others, follow safety and conduct rules, participate honestly and report concerns in good faith.

Suppliers, contractors, agents and partners shall meet agreed diversity, dignity, safety, confidentiality and compliance expectations.

17. Records, Confidentiality and Data Protection

Diversity-related records, accommodation requests, complaints, investigation notes and corrective actions shall be handled confidentially and shared only with persons who need the information for legitimate business, legal, safety, quality or compliance purposes.

Personal information must be collected, stored, accessed, retained and disposed of in line with applicable legal, contractual and quality-system requirements.

Information relating to a person’s health, disability, identity, complaint or personal circumstances must not be discussed casually, posted online or disclosed to unauthorised persons.

18. Training and Awareness

Elite Offshore Academy shall communicate this policy to relevant personnel and may provide awareness or briefing sessions on respectful conduct, fair assessment, cultural sensitivity, harassment prevention, reasonable accommodation and complaint handling.

New employees, trainers, assessors, agents or partners should be made aware of the Academy’s expectations before they interact with learners or customers on behalf of the Academy.

19. Monitoring and Continuous Improvement

The Academy may monitor learner feedback, complaints, audit findings, assessment appeals, incident reports, staff feedback and customer feedback to identify diversity, inclusion or accessibility issues.

Management shall use lessons learned to improve communication, training delivery, facilities, documentation, complaint handling, partner controls and staff awareness.

This policy shall be reviewed at least annually and whenever there are significant changes in law, accreditation requirements, approval conditions, business activities, customer expectations, complaints, audit findings or management review outcomes.

20. Breach of Policy

Breach of this Diversity Policy may result in corrective action, counselling, retraining, reassessment, withdrawal from training, disciplinary action, termination of contract, removal from supplier or partner lists, civil recovery, or reporting to authorities where required.

The seriousness of action will depend on the facts, intent, risk, harm caused, recurrence, seniority of the person involved and cooperation during investigation.