Black and Minority Ethnic staff on low wages aspire to move up the career ladder but lack support

Ethnic minority staff on low incomes aspire to move up the career ladder but face low self-confidence and lack managerial support for career progression reveals new report.

Ethnic minority staff on low incomes aspire to move up the career ladder but face low self-confidence and lack managerial support for career progression reveals new report.

 

The Joseph Rowntree Foundation have published a report looking at how the governement needs to address and develop career opportunities for Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) staff in low-income careers.
 
reseaarch findings address some of the challenges faced by Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) staff such as low self-confidence and language skills which leads to many falling in to the trap of low-paid work.
 
Voice4Change England (V4CE) had a critical voice in the contribution to the report, particularly around sharing the experiences of poverty in BME communities.
 
Kunle Olulode, CEO V4CE, said the research raises some interesting questions for policy makers, human resource specialists and representatives of organised labour on overcoming the problems of a low wage and low productivity economy.
 
He explained: "While a great deal has been written and discussed with regard to the unemployed, far too little attention has been paid to those in work at the poorer end of society drawn from BME communities. This innovative project has touched some of the hidden discriminatory barriers to getting out of low pay and poverty.  
 
The report calls for employers to take a strategic approach to supporting career progression among low paid workers from all ethnic backgrounds and take a long hard look at the culture that undermines their equal opportunities policies. 
 
Some of the key reccommendations outlined in the report include:
 
  • Employers should take a strategic approach towards developing skills among low-paid workers and enabling them to progress to better paid work.
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  • Such approaches should be sensitive to the additional challenges faced by ethnic minorities and of the potential for informal workplace practices to undermine equal opportunities policies.
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  • Managers’ objectives should include providing development opportunities for their staff and ensuring that workers from all backgrounds are included in these.
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  • Procurement policies and processes should ensure that low-paid workers providing outsourced services are supported to progress out of poverty, including through payment of the Living Wage and implementation of equal opportunities policies.
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  • Employers should adopt monitoring and benchmarking, not only of recruitment but also of progression, development activity and retention.
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  • Workforce data should be regularly reviewed at national, local and organisational levels and action taken to ensure that ethnic minorities are represented at all levels.
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  • Government should make more explicit links between anti-poverty and equality strategies.
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  • Jobcentre Plus and Work Programme providers should monitor outcomes for customers from different ethnic backgrounds, including sustainability and progression in work.
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  • Local authorities should work with stakeholders in Local Enterprise Partnerships to encourage employers to support progression.
 
For more information or to read the report click here