BME youth ‘need apprenticeships’

With almost half of black and minority ethnic (BME) young people out of work, education or training, it is vital that special measures are taken to help get them included in apprenticeship schemes, says the TUC.

Overall, 8% of apprentices are from BME backgrounds, but in state funded secondary schools, 19.5% of pupils are of minority ethnic origin. The stark statistics were reported to this month’s TUC Unionlearn conference, “Apprenticeships for all”.

Director of Unionlearn Tom Wilson told the conference that BME young people still have poorer access to education and training opportunities, such as apprenticeships, than white people. “Many of the areas hit by the recent riots are also areas of high unemployment among BME youth. Too many of these young people are being shut out of the labour market,” he said.

TUC race equality policy officer Wilf Sullivan said radical action was needed to ensure that the marginalisation of the BME community in the labour market is not perpetuated in a new generation.

He said: “The TUC will be impressing upon government that it must inject cash into the apprenticeship programme to ensure that BME young people can find a quality route into the workforce.”

The conference also highlighted some initiatives already taking place including a scheme which works with Muslim families to persuade them to let their daughters find work and provides tailor-made training and support for the young women.