1. IGNITE MANIFESTO LAUNCH
Sandra Kerr, OBE
National Director Race for Opportunity
Business in the Community
www.bitc.org.uk

2. The UK is already diverse and will continue to
become increasingly so
The UK workforce is diverse:
• 1 in 8 of the current workforce is from a BAME background
The emerging workforce is even more diverse:
• 1 in 6 UK-domiciled students at university is from a BAME background
• 1 in 5 pupils in secondary school is from a BAME background and
• 1 in 4 children in primary schools is from a BAME background
Employers have found it difficult to establish a diverse workforce that reflects
local territories or indeed society at large:
• 5.7% of FTSE 100 directors are from ethnic minorities (UK norm 12%)
• 59.4% of ethnic minority people are employed (UK average 70.6%)
• 44.4% is the unemployment rate for black youths (UK average 21.2%)
RfO helps employers unlock potential by aligning their workforce, thinking and ways
www.bitc.org.uk of working with customers and society at large.

3. Why diversity makes compelling sense
for business?
An inclusive and diverse workforce:
• Improves decision making and creativity by avoiding group think
• Builds better value propositions, having access to more market knowledge
• Increases access to a growing market by understanding entry points
• Creates a positive and inclusive brand image for customers, employees
and prospective employees
• Contributes to social cohesion and stability, building more effective ties and
loyalty with markets and communities
A study commissioned by Weber Shandwick estimated the spending power
of the UK’s ethnic communities at £300 billion*.
Source: Multi-Cultural insight study 2007 commissioned by Weber Shandwick’s specialist
multicultural marketing division Multi-Cultural Communications. £300m estimated for 2010.
www.bitc.org.uk

4. Why diversity makes compelling sense
for business?
And not forgetting that businesses with global language skills
benefit from market globalisation
The ten most popular languages worldwide
with the number of language speakers: In 2005, the Guardian reported
that more than 300 languages
German German were spoken by the people of
Japanese Japanese London, and the city.
Russian Russian
Bengali Bengali
Portuguese Portuguese
Series1 Series1
Hindi Hindi In state-funded primary schools
Arabic Arabic 16.8% of pupils’ first language
English English (compulsory school age and
Spanish Spanish
above) was known or believed to
darin Chinese
Mandarin Chinese
be other than English in 2011.
0 200 0 400 200 600 400 800 600 1000800 1000
www.bitc.org.uk

5. Progress has been made, but the challenge and
opportunity for business remains ahead
FTSE 100 Board Representation shows little movement
• 7 BAME Board Positions held in 2012 (7 men and no woman)
The UK Workforce is diverse in part, but management remain underrepresented
• 1 in 15 of the BAME workforce is in management (vs. a norm of 1 in 8)
University representation from BAME groups is low in high profile campuses
• 1 in 6 UK domiciled students from BAME background are in University
• 1 in 8 study at a Russell Group University
• 1 in 10 at Oxford and Cambridge Universities.
Employment prospects have deteriorated markedly in some BAME groups
• 44.4% is the unemployment rate for black youths (UK average 21.2%)
Organisations that maximise their full talent capability are better placed to deliver
www.bitc.org.uk competitive advantage with marginal incremental cost.
increased

6. RfO Vision: Squaring the pyramid
Increase inclusive and
diverse senior leaders 1 in 16
(on boards)
Accelerate progression
and balance 1 in 8
(in the workforce)
representation
Reduce BAME youth 1 in 4
unemployment (in primary school)
www.bitc.org.uk

7. RfO Priorities 2012 - 2014
Primary focus is on a small number of critical priorities:
1. Progression & Inclusive Leadership: Accelerate balanced
representation at all levels (including leadership pipeline and Boards).
2. Track segmented data: Track progress across all BAME segments and
drive focus on areas most in need of support with action plans.
3. BAME Youth Unemployment: Ensuring effective monitoring of
programmes and balanced inclusion of BAME young people.
4. Increase profile: Drive profile on squaring the pyramid and the case for
diversity and inclusion via a concerted communications campaign.
5. Get closer to government: Play a greater part in shaping policy to
develop ‘Lord Davies Review’ with focus on ethnicity and diversity.
www.bitc.org.uk

8. RfO Insight into media and PR industry
RfO Aspiration and Frustration 2010 highlights:
• Only 30% believed that it would be easy to find a job in any of the eight
selected professions. The media industry was seen as the hardest to break
into with one in three (31%) saying it would be difficult to find a job.
• More than 1 in 3 respondents saw the media profession as "cut throat"
(34%) and more than a fifth used the word "aggressive" to describe the
media profession.
• One fifth of respondents cited the lack of information from the Media industry
for potential applicants wanting to join this profession.
Source: Aspiration and Frustration, page 9&7
www.bitc.org.uk

9. RfO Media PR industry recommendations:
RfO Aspiration and Frustration Recommendations:
Employers within the media profession need to look at why they currently risk
putting off potential BAME candidates from seeking a career with them. They
should:
• Work together to agree a common approach to promoting access to the
industry including encouraging company directors, among others, to become
involved in mentoring activities and programmes;
• Make it clear in their recruitment materials that they welcome candidates
from BAME backgrounds and ensure that there are no issues that present
“invisible” barriers to minorities.
• Ask recruitment agencies/head-hunters to send through diverse shortlists of
candidates for vacancies.
• Diversify personal networks. NEW!
www.bitc.org.uk

10. RfO Practical support materials
Practical tools on www.bitcdiversity.org.uk website:
1. RfO Aspiration and Frustration report June 2010: Clear response from
BAME people in the UK about their perception of the PR and Media
industry
2. RfO Diversity in the Media factsheet:. This will help to make the
business case for action and change. Help as a starting benchmark from
which to chart progress.
3. Free online unconscious bias taster tool: Free taster toolkit developed
in partnership with DWP, Jobcentre Plus, Ethnic Minority Advisory Group
and People Development Group and Sponge UK.
www.bitc.org.uk

11. RfO Ethnic Minorities in the Media
Key facts!
• Of the top 100 journalists in 2006,
54% were independently educated
an increase from 49% in 1986.
• Private schools make up only 7 per
cent of the country’s secondary
school population. Yet they produce
well over half of the country’s top
news journalists.
Source: The Sutton Trust -The Educational Backgrounds of Leading
Journalists, June 2006
www.bitc.org.uk

12. RfO Practical support materials
RfO 5-points for progress 5 step simple action plan:
1. Know why it matters
2. Know your organisation
3. Know yourself
4. Know your colleagues
5. Know what to do
www.bitc.org.uk

13. RfO 5 point for progress #3
• 5-points for
Progress
• Know yourself
• Unconscious
Bias tool
www.bitc.org.uk

14. Thank you
www.bitcdiversity.org.uk
www.bitc.org.uk