Ahead of the General Election on Thursday 4th of July, Action for Race Equality’s Youth Action Network called on the new Government to make their career opportunities a priority.
There is a huge pool of talent among young people from Black, Asian and Mixed Heritage backgrounds, but far too often these young people face persistent inequalities in the employment market.
We know that the next government will prioritise focus on growing the economy in a bid to recover from the financial fallout of both the Covid-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine which accelerated the cost of living crisis.
ARE’s Youth Action Network would like to see the government prioritise a clear strategy and resourcing that invests into employment opportunities for young Black, Asian, and Mixed Heritage people to work towards this goal.
Youth Action Network member Taha Tariq said: “As a member of Action for Race Equality’s Youth Action Network, I have first-hand seen the work of multiple social mobility initiatives and how they’re actively promoting and advocating for fair practices to promote the transition of Black, Asian and Minority ethnic groups into the workplace.
“This general election, I’d like to see more of this, but from parliamentarians, often at our parliamentary events, there aren’t many MPs, nor senior policymakers, so as a member of the British Pakistani youth, and seeing tokenistic practices in the workplace and a lack of inclusivity first-hand, more needs to be done to address race inequality within employment.
Whilst unemployment is a universal issue, it’s so important to realise the fundamental inequalities as a root cause, such as within the education system in particular where certain demographics have less higher education attainment as well as on a regional level with pockets of deprivation and low-income backgrounds suffering from poor quality education.”
Taha Tariq, Youth Action Network Ambassador
“Education and employment go hand in hand, after doing a research report on T-Levels with the Edge Foundation, I’ve also identified the UK’s vocational education as being severely underwhelming and subpar compared to counter-parts such as Germany, more pathways for school leavers must be explored and invested into, such as degree apprenticeships, vocational education and alternative routes and support for students.
“As a student who has lived through a global pandemic and not seen adequate support, I’m fed up but also hopeful. Hopeful for change and progress. It’s time to unlock BAME talent not by lowering the bar but by widening the gate.”
For Youth Action Network Ambassador Witney Aiguokhian, wants the government to dismantle the obstacles that she and her peers will encounter.
“This general election comes at a pivotal time. Not only will this be my first time voting at a general election (and the majority of my peers), but it also signifies a moment of much needed change. As a young black woman, about to start university and pursue my dream career, my main concerns revolve around the obstacles faced by ethnic minorities in securing high paying careers, particularly in the corporate space.
“From my own experiences, especially when it came to finding work experience and advice from people working in the corporate space, I have found this very challenging, and this was made even more difficult because it was a journey I went through on my own. I ask that candidates take steps to address this issue and consider the following suggestions:
1. Making employability skills and activities such as CV writing a mandatory part of PSHE lessons.
2. Stop putting such heavy emphasis on the traditional academic route and instead introduce an alternative technical focused route that connects young people directly to employers, getting them into the world of employment faster.
Action for Race Equality’s Youth Action Network is shaping our employment activities, through our Youth Futures Foundation funded work: Building Ethnic Diversity in the Youth Employability Sector.
