A fairer Scotland for all: race equality action plan and highlight report 2017-2021
The race equality action plan sets out the key actions for the Scottish Government to drive positive change for minority ethnic communities.
Section 1: Employment
The importance of employment in addressing racial inequality cannot be overstated. It is often in the labour market that racism and discrimination are evident, restricting the opportunities open to people from minority ethnic communities and preventing their skills and expertise from benefitting our economy. It is simply unacceptable that, as Kaliani Lyle notes in her report, despite having the highest levels of educational attainment, people from minority ethnic communities are twice as likely to be unemployed as people from white communities. We have therefore developed a suite of actions which will start to address this employment gap, which we have closely aligned with the recommendations from the Independent Race Equality Adviser's report. Our aspiration is not simply to move more minority ethnic people into employment, it is to ensure that they are employed in jobs which are appropriate for their level of skills, qualifications and experience.
In the year ending June 2017, the employment rate (16-64) in Scotland for ethnic white people was 74.2% compared with 58.5% for the ethnic minority groups, an employment rate gap of 15.7%.
Source: Annual Population Survey, July 2016-June 2017, ONS. Next update: 24 January 2018.
There is a particular disadvantage for women from minority ethnic groups. Female employment rates for the minority ethnic group are typically around 24% lower than male minority ethnic employment rates. This is around three times higher than the gap of around 7% between the employment rates for all males and females living in Scotland.
Source: Annual Population Survey, July 2016-June 2017, ONS. Next update: 24 January 2018.
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| Key Actions |
Year 1 |
Year 2 |
Year 3 |
| We will work with key stakeholders, including the BME Employability Strategic Steering Group, to agree baselines, measures and targets for ethnic minority communities who face disadvantage in the labour market. |
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| We will work with key stakeholders to review current employment support measures to ensure that they are focused on achieving parity in employment for minority ethnic communities. |
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| We will lead a dialogue with delivery agencies, and other key stakeholders, to map activities that aim to improve employment and progression for groups who suffer disadvantage in the labour market (including people from minority ethnic communities) to develop a more coherent approach that will provide direction and accountability. |
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| We and our partners will actively promote the Workplace Equality Fund as an opportunity for increasing employment opportunities for people from minority ethnic backgrounds. |
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| We will encourage stakeholders engaged in race equality to consider submitting an application to the Workplace Equality Fund. |
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| We will use the data from the public bodies reporting round to influence the dialogue with delivery agencies and other key stakeholders to map activities that aim to improve employment and progression for minority ethnic communities. This will contribute to the development of a coherent cross government approach that will provide direction and accountability. |
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| We will engage a wide range of public sector employers in a discussion about what positive actions we can take to improve employment and progression for minority ethnic communities. |
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| In partnership with stakeholders we are currently developing a recognition of prior qualifications, skills and a learning pilot project as part of the New Scots Strategy. |
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| We will work with Skills Development Scotland to annually review their Equality Action Plan for Modern Apprenticeships in Scotland to monitor progress towards the improvements set out in our Youth Employment Strategy - Developing Scotland's Young Workforce. |
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| Following our procurement process for the Fair Start Scotland Programme, we will take specific actions to help those from disadvantaged minority ethnic groups to tackle the barriers these groups face in the labour market. |
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| We will work with stakeholders to review current employment support measures to ensure that they are focused on achieving parity in employment for minority ethnic communities. |
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| We will tailor employment support to meet the needs of refugees and (where eligible) asylum seekers. |
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| We will work with stakeholders to promote an evidence based approach to ensuring the right support is in place to help minority ethnic graduates enter employment. |
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| We will work with key stakeholders to agree baselines, measures and targets with regard to underrepresentation of ethnic minorities. We will ask this group to identify gaps in the evidence base and use this information to assess the next steps. |
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| We will work with the Developing Young Workforce Regional Groups to encourage more employers to offer work placements for young people in school and college, including those from minority ethnic groups. |
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| Enterprise |
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| Key Actions |
Year 1 |
Year 2 |
Year 3 |
| We will fund research to aid a clearer understanding of the issues around minority ethnic entrepreneurs to make interventions that assist minority ethnic entrepreneurs to access and make full use of the enterprise eco-system within the public and private sector. |
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| We will work with partners and social enterprises to strengthen ethnic minority engagement with social enterprises. We will fund key delivery partners to deliver a Social Enterprise Capacity Building Programme which will provide support for up to 38 minority ethnic social entrepreneurs and 34 minority ethnic groups; and deliver 6 social enterprise awareness raising events. |
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