Improving Employment Outcomes for Young Black Men - Business in the Community

Improving Employment Outcomes for Young Black Men

This Improving Employment Outcomes for Young Black Men factsheet outlines the vital role employers can play in addressing disparities by creating inclusive and diverse workforces.

While most Black people experience some type of discrimination throughout their lives, young Black men suffer greater disadvantage. They are more likely to be unemployed then other people in their age group or compared to White men1. This Improving Employment Outcomes for Young Black Men factsheet outlines the vital role employers can play in addressing these disparities by creating inclusive and diverse workforces.

bitc-employment-factsheet-improvingunemploymentoutcomesyoungblackmen-march2021DOWNLOAD FACTSHEET

The factsheet includes examples of how Business in the Community (BITC) members J Murphy and Sons Group Limited and NatWest Group have taken action on this issue, making opportunities more accessible to underrepresented groups.

Responsible businesses know that their workforces should reflect the communities they serve and with one in five young men in London being from Black and Mixed backgrounds2, employers need to ensure they have a strategic and proactive approach to their attraction and recruitment processes.

Moving on Up

This factsheet, brings together BITC’s expertise across employment and skills, and race equality at work, as well as key findings from new research involving BITC members and young Black men. It has been produced by BITC with funding from Brent Council as part of the Moving On Up project.

The Moving on Up Initiative has two aims.

  • Firstly, to directly increase the employment rate amongst young black men in London through supporting targeted interventions.
  • Secondly to generate learning that could influence employers, mainstream employment support providers and funders/commissioners.

Business in the Community and race equality

After 25 years of campaigning for race equality in the UK, BITC believes every employer must prioritise action on race.

There are two key actions leaders can take today to amplify their commitment to improving equality of opportunity in the workplace.

Find out more about BITC’s work on race agenda.

References

  1. The IFS Deaton Review (2021) Race and Ethnicity, Institute for Fiscal Studies
  2. Black Training and Enterprise Group (2014) Action Plan: To Increase Employment Rates For Young Black Men In London