What is the problem?• APPG on Race and Community: Unemployment rates for BME women are

persistently high. Discrimination is evident at every stage of the recruitment process, this is due to a lack of social capital, lower qualifications and social attitudes towards women

• JRF: The role of employer attitudes, 2011: Employers are to blame for discrepancies between white and BME employment. Private sector is not proactive enough. PSED should be extended to private sector and in work poverty is also an issue as BME generally earn less

• BTEG: race equality in employment - September 2011: Black people have the highest levels of interest in becoming self-employed but are least likely to achieve this

• CESI –Increasing employment for ethnic minorities, 2008: The ethnic penalty exists, other measures cannot sufficiently account for the difference in BME employment compared to whites

• NAO: Increasing employment rates for ethnic minorities, 2008: JCP is the main agent for change and central government should make minority employment targets a pre-requisite for funding

A local picture• Just over a third of Islington residents are BME.

• Over 50% of Islington’s population under the age of 19 are BME

• Issues for non-white people ceasing to be a “minority” concern

GCSE incl. English and Maths• There is a considerable gap in GCSE attainment of different BME groups• For a number of years average BME attainment was actually higher than White British• But this has not yet translated into better performance in the labour market

Islington Employment Rates• The picture is clear that BME people in Islington as well as London are significantly less likely to be in

employment than their white counterparts and that the gap grows during recessions.

• In Islington BME people are more likely than their white counterparts to be in education after the age of 19 and to be engaged in voluntary activities.

• These ought to make them more competitive in the job market but that does not seem to be the case.

Local Service Delivery• General approach to reducing unemployment

– Providing people with qualifications and skills– Securing apprenticeships and job opportunities from employers– Providing 1-2-1 support for people who need it

• The only service exclusively targeting was the Ethnic Minority Achievement Service (EMAS) for schools which has now been ceased

• There is some targeting via other categories– Refugees, non-English speakers, young offenders are amongst prioritised

groups for other employability and employment services

We provide employability skills to unemployed residents

White Black Mixed Other/ Not known

Asian Chinese0

200

400

600

800

1,000

1,200

1,400

1,600

1,373 (48%)

899 (31%)

106 (3%)

219 (7%) 204 (7%)

30 (1%)

Nu

mb

er

of

lea

rne

rs

BME over-represented

We have 3 times as many women as men

Female Male Female MaleWhite BME

0

200

400

600

800

1,000

1,200

996(35%)

377(13%)

1,116(39%)

342(12%)

Nu

mb

er

of

lea

rne

rs

• Between ages 25 and 65 men are more economically active than women• 18 to 24 more men claiming benefits (62% of total claimants) • Is there an issue with BME males improving their skills?

We provide Help on Your Doorstep (HOYD)• Outreach charity funded 50% by the council• Knock on doors and ask “is there anything I can help you with?”• BME over-represented in client base and referrals for employment support

White

Black

or B

lack

Brit

ish

Mix

ed e

thnic

ity

Asian

or A

sian

Brit

ish

Other

eth

nic g

roup

46%

27%

10% 8% 8%

16 - 19 year olds who are the Information Advice and Guidance client group by ethnicity

We provide personalised support for young peopleAgain, more BME than White

We provide personalised support for parentsAgain, more BME than White

We source employability support and jobs from businesses

…and suddenly the outcomes for BME people are not as good as for White

What are the opportunities for using the localism agenda to

deliver tangible improvements in ethnic minority employment?