On Thursday 2nd November, Action for Race Equality, a national anti-racism charity set up in 1991, with Sir Stephen Timms MP for East Ham, hosts an important roundtable event
in Parliament, focussed on addressing unemployment disparities faced by young people from Black, Asian, Minority Ethnic and Mixed heritage backgrounds in the UK.
The event,
‘Unlocking opportunities: bridging the employment gap for young Black, Asian, and Mixed Heritage people’,
aims to engage policymakers, employers, and equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) practitioners to create positive changes and reduce the employment gap that currently exists for ethnic minority young people.
According to the Youth
Futures Foundation’s 2022 survey of 2,296 ethnic minority young people, many young people (44% of young Asian people, and 57% of young Black people)
see their ethnicity as a barrier to career success. The research also found:
·
7 in 10 young people (71%) have experienced some form of workplace discrimination
·
1 in 3 have experienced discrimination when applying for a job (37%) and/or at a job interview (36%)
·
More than half (55%) of young Black people feel that employers underestimate their abilities because of their ethnic background
A closer look shows that those young Black men, aged between 16 – 24, are up to three times as likely to be unemployed, compared to their white counterparts, regardless of
any qualifications. This is an inequality that has persisted for several years.
ARE, with a selection of passionate employers and partners working in Brent and Newham in London and regionally, want to keep this important conversation and stark disparities on the table, especially
as the ever-growing impacts of the cost-of-living crisis on young people’s socio-economic health and security become alarmingly clear.
Thursday’s event counts amongst its speakers: Alison McGovern, MP for Wirral South, Shadow Minister (Work and Pensions); Tammy Fevrier, Youth and Skills policy
lead at Department for Work and Pensions; Chris Goulden, Director of Impact and Evidence, Youth Futures Foundation; Jeremy Crook OBE, Chief Executive of Action for Race Equality; Zenab Mumtaz, Socio-economic Development Manager, Lendlease; Syed Uddin, Director
of Bengali-youth focussed organisation, Leaders in Community, and young people who have stepped forward to represent their peers and be advocates for better outcomes for their communities.
Alison McGovern, MP for Wirral South, a speaker at ‘Unlocking opportunities: bridging the employment gap for young Black, Asian, and Mixed Heritage people’ said:
“The benefits of a good job that pays well ought to be available to everybody, so I’m glad to join Action for Race Equality in discussing the employment disparities that some young
people still face in Britain today.”
At the event, ARE will also launch a new Positive Action Guide for London’s Chief Executives, developed by Moving on Up’s dedicated Employer Champions. The session will also offer a platform
for audience members to hear, for the first time, ARE’s key policy asks, which have been collated in conjunction with young people and leaders from the Black and minority-led community, voluntary sector. These include:
A call for government to set a national target to close the unemployment rate disparity between young Black men and the average unemployment rate for all young men, with a focus on London. Jobcentre Plus should lead the development and delivery of local action plans, tracked through transparent ethnicity reporting.
For the Department for Work and Pensions to collect and publish data on employment rates of young Black, Asian, and Mixed heritage people, including those not in employment, education, or training. The data should be accessible to the public and easy to interpret.
Encouraging local councils to support effective programme tailored to the specific needs of different demographics, guiding young individuals into fields they are passionate about and working with employers that promote progression opportunities.
A call for employers to improve employment policies to foster a diverse workforce, supporting young Black, Asian, Mixed heritage and minority ethnic individuals. This can be achieved through the implementation of existing tools such as the Mayor of London’s Inclusive Employers Toolkit, ARE’s Positive Action Guide, and public sector procurement.
Following the launch of the new Positive Action guide, which comes soon after Action for Race Equality’s recent campaign, #TapIntoLondonsBlackTalent, the charity is inviting employers who are ready to make a tangible difference and commit to change, to join its dedicated Employer Champions Group.
