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https://www.dmu.ac.uk/business/work-with-our-students/leicesters-future-leaders.aspx

 

 

Eileen Richards Recruitment is currently partnered with Freeths, Brewin Dolphin and De Montfort University in a key project to increase ethnic diversity among graduate recruits and business leaders in Leicester.

 

Research has shown that people with a BAME background have an underemployment rate of 15.3% compared with 11.5% for White workers*. Black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) staff earn less than their White counterparts in the workplace and are less likely to be in senior positions even though they are more likely to hold higher academic qualifications.

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Businesses and professional people have a key part to play in tackling inequality, encouraging diversity and creating an inclusive culture. A wide body of research has established that diverse organisations are more successful. The 2017 McGregor Smith review, Race in the Workplace*, estimated a £24 billion boost to the UK economy if we had full representation of BAME individuals across the labour market.

 

Having a diverse and inclusive workforce with people from different racial, educational and social backgrounds brings fresh perspectives to a business, challenges traditional thinking and generates new, creative solutions.

 

A diverse workforce also means a business is better tuned in to the needs and perspectives of their customers and clients, who are likely to come from many different backgrounds.

 

So we believe that changing the way that local businesses attract, recruit and retain employees is an essential step for Leicester and Leicestershire to foster greater economic growth and world-leading innovation. The project will celebrate inclusive businesses, delivering:

 

• An attraction, recruitment and retention toolkit for increasing workforce diversity, developed in a partnership between businesses, students and the university

 

• A programme of training and resources for businesses

 

• Opportunities to recruit fully funded graduate interns from a BAME background

 

• A new in-work mentoring programme to support BAME graduates starting their first graduate job role, helping them succeed and progress

 

The Princes Trust, Access Generation and Inclusive Grads are also supporting the project with expertise and resources on inclusive employment.

 

We are very keen to expand this partnership network and make sure the project supports the whole local business community.

 

If you’d like to get involved, please contact: Vanessa Haye, Leicester Future Leaders Project Manager, [email protected], 0116 207 8669)

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