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MENTER sets up Task Force to break down the barriers to BME access to business and employment services
Breaking down the barriers to BME access to skills, employment and enterprise services in the region is the focus of an innovative MENTER project funded by the East of England Development Agency (EEDA). Terry Harding, MENTER’s Head of Policy and Enterprise has been implementing the work since the summer of 2008 and since April 2009 a task force has been set up to further the work. Terry has found it a very exciting and challenging area of work: “The main issue is the scale of the project and trying to ensure focus so that positive actions can be achieved. The incremental approach adopted by the Task Force will hopefully make it easier to both achieve and monitor progress. However, at the same time, it is important that action is seen to be taken locally. So, MENTER will continue to work with local providers where appropriate. By this time next year I hope to be able to report significant progress regarding the way that agencies both deliver services and work more effectively together to meet the needs of BME communities”.
Ethnic minorities are subject to higher unemployment rates, and heavily populate the clerical and manual workforce, earning lower incomes than their non-minority counterparts. Ethnic minorities, even those enjoying relative success, have been found not to be doing as well as they should be given their education and other characteristics.
These are some of the conclusions of the research commissioned by MENTER in 2007 into ‘BME access to skills, employment and enterprise services in the East of England’ which was conducted by the Centre for Economic and Social Inclusion. The main barriers identified were discrimination by employers and service providers and lack of services that are tailored to meet the needs of BME communities – not additional specialist services but adapting the provision of mainstream services to meet the needs of certain groups, and lack of engagement between BME communities, policy makers and service providers.
MENTER’s project is focused on the recommendations of the research. Unlike most projects, it has been agreed with EEDA, the funder, that success will be measured through MENTER’s key roles of advocacy/influence, communication, enabling/facilitation and through MENTER acting as the BME interface between, policy makers, major service providers and BME communities. This will be achieved through MENTER’s extensive database of BME organisations across the region and through the MENTER website. Both are due to be overhauled and upgraded in the next few months.
In December 2008 a regional summit was held including regional and local partners. Its main objectives were raising awareness of the issues, encouraging ‘sign up’ by participants and identifying some ways forward. Among others, Jeremy Crook of BTEG delivered a presentation of case studies of work successfully operating in other parts of the country.
To provide a ‘strategic lead’ for the work MENTER has called together representatives from 5 major regional agencies – The East of England Development Agency (EEDA), The East of England Regional Assembly (EERA), GO East, The East of England Skills and Competitiveness Partnership, The East of England Business Group, and MENTER. The group will maintain an overview of the project, use influence where necessary and provide a means of effectively monitoring action.
Following MENTER’s engagement with The Learning and Skills Council, Jobcentre Plus and Business Link East all three have indicated that the research will be used to influence future service delivery. MENTER has invited representatives of these agencies, EEDA, local authorities, enterprise agencies and VCS organisations to come together in the regional Task Force to work to address the issues raised in the research. At the first meeting there was a very useful exchange of ideas and identification of issues for discussion. Future meetings of the Task Force will address these in manageable ‘bitesize’ pieces. This will enable Task Force members to be flexible about attendance, joining when discussing issues of particular relevance to their organisation. For example, the second meeting focussed on enterprise services.
MENTER is also working with the East of England Business Group and Race for Opportunity (part of Business in the Community) to develop links with the business sector in the East of England. The aim is to identify business champions from small to medium sized enterprises (SME’s) who can advocate the business case for a diverse workforce in order to encourage more employment of BME people and the creation of better opportunities for personal development once in the workforce.
MENTER has also established good links with EERA and a meeting has been held to discuss how MENTER can best influence the work of local authorities which have a key role in this agenda through leadership/governance, as employers, service deliverers and as businesses – especially in the context of procuring services. The research identifies procurement and use of equalities standards as a major way to influence employment policy and practice. MENTER are also hoping to work with Unison and other trade unions on this work.
Another area of development is BME social enterprise. MENTER is working closely with Social Enterprise East of England and has been invited to join a new group ‘Diversity Incubation Project’ (DIPS), the aim being to develop a regional strategy to engage Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic communities within the social enterprise sector using models and outreach provided by practicing social entrepreneurs. It is also hoped to engage with the new strategy in the Social Enterprise Strategy for the East of England, due for review this year.
In addition to the regional level work, MENTER is trying to engage at local level and is currently partnering a range of agencies in tendering bids to support the employment of disadvantaged people in three local communities across the region. In this way MENTER is able to directly participate in delivery and hopefully identify ‘models of good practice’ that can be developed to support other communities – especially during the current recession.
For further information about the work or if you are aware of good case studies in your own area please contact Terry Harding on 07723 575188 or Email: terry”at”menter.org.uk.(Replace “at” by @)
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