Aspiration and Frustration A Brief Overview

mobilising business for good Aspiration and Frustration Research objective: To find out how certain industries in the UK are perceived by black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) people, including those of white Britons.

mobilising business for good Aspiration and Frustration Participants: A total of 1,500 people were interviewed for the survey. The largest group was Indian (15%) followed by white British, white Mixed race and Pakistani each 14%, and Black Caribbean/Other Black at 13%.

mobilising business for good Aspiration and Frustration Industries involved The survey sought respondent opinions on 8 professions which included those seen as the best paid in the country and others that have high status or profile within the community namely;- Politics Armed Forces Police Medicine Banking/finance Legal/law Education Media (incl. PR, journalism)

mobilising business for good Aspiration and Frustration Industries perceived as transparent: Armed Forces Police Education Medicine

mobilising business for good Aspiration and Frustration Industries perceived as not transparent: Banking/finance Legal/law Media (incl. PR, journalism) Politics

mobilising business for good Aspiration and Frustration Key findings  Despite high levels of aspiration among ethnic minorities, a majority sees many of the key professions – especially those that offer the potential for the highest salaries – as being closed off to them.  Employers with an historic reputation for racism are still seen as unwelcoming to ethnic minorities.

mobilising business for good Aspiration and Frustration

mobilising business for good Aspiration and Frustration Key findings  Despite a strong desire from ethnic minorities, there are few role models in the key professions, which may explain the negative image they appear to have.  Blatant racism is still far too prevalent in the workplace. While only a minority has suffered it, for those who have, the pattern of behaviour can be highly offensive and at worst seems unchanged from the 1970s.

mobilising business for good Aspiration and Frustration

mobilising business for good Aspiration and Frustration 3 Key Recommendations The coalition Government clearly needs to demonstrate its commitment to tear down the barriers of social mobility set out within its coalition document programme for government ‘Freedom Fairness Responsibility’ by ensuring a focus on race. Recommendation No.1:

mobilising business for good Aspiration and Frustration We recommend that the range of measures it plans to introduce to end discrimination at work, including promoting equal pay, take full account of race as well as gender; We recommend it extend its commitment to promote gender equality on boards of listed companies to also include race diversity; We recommend that it widely promotes its plans for providing internships for BAME people in every Whitehall department as a practice to be followed by private sector employers; We recommend that the school curricula includes courses that will assist entry into the professions especially where there is little history of BAME students taking up those careers such as law, accountancy and banking.

mobilising business for good Aspiration and Frustration Recommendation No.2: Schools, colleges and universities must make sure that students see these careers as viable opportunities. In particular they should:-

mobilising business for good Aspiration and Frustration Widen career support networks to include the professions; Train careers officers in cultural awareness and ensure that they work towards meeting the aspirations of BAME people instead of pigeon-holing them into stereotypically “ethnic” jobs; and Work with employers to bring BAME role models to school, college and university careers events.

mobilising business for good Aspiration and Frustration Recommendation No.3: Employers within the main professions need to look at why they currently risk putting off potential BAME candidates from seeking a career with them. They should:-

mobilising business for good Aspiration and Frustration Work together to agree a common approach to promoting access to industry sectors, ensuring BAME talent is not lost; mentoring programmes and activities. Commit to producing diverse shortlists for vacancies, particularly in those sectors that this report has shown are seen as off limits, uninviting or unsupportive; Make it clear in their recruitment materials that they welcome candidates from BAME backgrounds and ensure that there are no issues that present “invisible” barriers to minorities; and

mobilising business for good Aspiration and Frustration Senior leaders to promote mentoring within their organisations through personal example and encouraging employees to participate in mentoring activities within their workplaces and communities. Encourage more experienced BAME employees to join networks such as Business in the Community’s MERLIN (Minority Ethnic Role Models for Learning and Inspiration) mentoring and role model program for young people.

mobilising business for good Aspiration and Frustration THANK YOU