Background
In 2015/16, only one-in-ten (10.5%) apprentice starters were from a Black, Asian or minority ethnic (BAME) background. This is a slight decrease from a high of 10.7% in 2014/15, but higher than each preceding year. These figures, however are substantially lower than the overall figure of 15.6% for the general population aged 16 to 64 in England.
Individuals from a BAME background are often held back from pursuing apprenticeships due to negative views of apprenticeships amongst individuals, parents and communities, views on the ‘suitability’ of different occupations and a lack of good role models. Cultural barriers and inflexible working conditions can also be a barrier. Recent analysis by Learning and Work Institute also suggests that a lack of apprenticeship opportunities in areas with large BAME communities may restrict access.
Ensuring a diverse range of applicants helps employers to make sure that they have the best person for the job, and that their workforce has a balance of different perspectives. Individuals from different backgrounds may also bring different skills and experience to a team. Some employers have also found that their business benefits by reflecting their customer base and the community that they serve.
It is also important to note that ethnicity is a protected characteristic in the Equality Act (2010) and employers have a legal duty to not discriminate based on it.
This section presents case studies of organisations with good practice in supporting the employment of apprentices from a BAME background. This includes the use of traineeships to provide intensive training for under-represented groups, non-traditional assessment and interview techniques, accessible and anonymised application forms, diversity in promotional material, outreach programmes and the use of previous apprentices as role models.
Further sources of information, support and guidance for employing individuals from BAME backgrounds include: The Black Training & Enterprise group, the Royal Academy of Engineering’s Diversity and Inclusion Toolkit, Acas’s Prevent discrimination: support equality guide and the UKRC/WISE Apprentices guide.
