Career development training for LGBTQ+ staff at the University of Manchester

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The programme was a huge success, with a Net Promoter Score of 100, and demand to re-run it annually. See participant feedback below.

Feedback from participants includes:

The course was challenging and brilliant. The modules seemed to have been picked very carefully, each session we built on the last and there were takeaways to reflect on at home. The variety of speakers/ leaders of each module were inspiring and engaging and facilitated the group being open and honest with one another which was a huge benefit to how enjoyable the course was.

The impact that this programme has had on my life is indescribable. It has shown me who I am, and empowered that person to a level of content and happiness that I've never known. I feel able to be my optimal self now thanks to all I've learned.

This was great, as someone from a marginalised background, being able to take these courses and feel more empowered to push myself and not worry about hiding my queerness.

Such a great experience, I've taken so much away from it and I think this would be really beneficial for a whole host of others to get involved with as well.

I'm deeply grateful to the OTL team for putting together an outstanding course. Each event challenged me to rethink my attitudes towards my career and to question where I've been selling myself short. I now have a leadership toolkit, an amazing network of colleagues, and the courage to pursue opportunities rather than wait for them to come my way.

Fantastic course, I learned a lot about myself and feel much more confident to speak up and make my voice heard!

I never expected to delve so deeply into my emotions, but this course showed me a side of myself I never knew existed. It's truly an eye-opening experience that everyone should have. Having a safe space to share my thoughts and feelings has been incredibly empowering. I've made real, lasting improvements within myself, and I couldn't be more grateful for this transformative journey. I can't recommend this course enough. It's been a life-changing experience.

I can confidently say that this course stands out as one of the most impactful experiences I've had. The focus on the unique challenges and experiences of the LGBT+ community made it particularly relevant and meaningful. I initially signed up for the course expecting to gain professional skills, but I ended up gaining so much more. The sense of community and personal growth I experienced exceeded my expectations and left a lasting impact on me.

I would highly recommend this course to anyone in the LGBT+ community looking for a transformative and affirming learning experience. It's a rare opportunity to grow both personally and professionally in a space that celebrates diversity and authenticity.

On The Level's LGBTQ+ Leadership Programme is a brilliantly motivational course that has enabled me to see the barriers that I have faced as an LGBTQ+ person and to find ways to break through them, encouraging me to have more confidence in myself as a leader and person of influence.

Genuinely this has been the most impactful and validating training I've done. I wasn't expecting it to get so deep but it was incredibly validating. I'd never considered how much of an impact my queerness had on my work-life until this: there was more than one moment where it was like someone holding a mirror up to how I behave or thought about myself and things clicked into place as to why. It's allowed me to recognise things in myself which have held me back, and process them. A couple of times something was mentioned on slides about how LGBTQ+ try to make themselves small, invisible almost to protect themselves - it was like a penny drop moment. I honestly feel like it's helped me to process some of my insecurities and recognise them and I feel so much more confident to progress now.