Northwest Development Agency Project: Positive Action Recruitment & Retention in the Public Sector Project Description This is a Positive Action in employment project targeted at the public sector across the North West. Many private and public sector organisations across the North West run successful Positive Action employment schemes, but very little has been done in assessing the impact and benefits of such schemes. In fact, public sector organisations have now realised that many groups are under-represented in the sector and are now keen to do something about it. This project aims to give practical guidance and support which will help public sector employers and employees to understand not only how best they can implement policies to eliminate discrimination and enhance equality of opportunity and but also how they can enable existing staff from Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) communities and other disadvantaged groups to move up the ladder in their organisations. The public sector in the North West has been identified as a sector, which could take a lead in developing a diverse workforce. This project aims to a carry out a mapping exercise on what already exists, bring this together, disseminate this information to other organisation and help public sector organisations develop similar activities to have a balanced workforce in terms of ethnicity, gender and disability. This project aims to give practical guidance and support, which will help public sector employers and employees to understand not only the provisions of the legislation on equality and their implications, but also how best they can implement policies to eliminate discrimination and to enhance equality of opportunity. Positive Action’ describes a range of measures which can be taken under the equality legislation to help improve access to employment for people from particular disadvantaged groups. Measures include training for particular work, and encouragement to apply for particular work. Training can also be provided to meet the special needs of people from particular groups. Positive action does not allow discrimination in recruiting, selecting or promoting. Positive action is about fair competition - not removing competition. The Sex Discrimination Act 1975 and the Race Relations Act 1976 do not compel employers to take positive action, but allow them to do so. Section 5 (2) d and 7 (2)e of the Race Relations Act RRA 1976 and Sex Discrimination Act 1975 provide for Genuine Occupational Qualification recruitment Sections 35 and 38 of the RRA 1976, which permits specific training programmes for BME people where an under-representation exists within the workforce. The project therefore aims: • To work with a minimum of 20 public sector organisations in the NW to mainstream inclusion and diversity issues in their core activities. • To review the recruitment and retention practices of the major public organisations in the NW. • To agree and have accepted by all the participating organisations a new positive action employment and retention programme by the summer of 2005 • To secure economic inclusion by diversification of workforce in the public sector across the NW. For further information, please contact Akhtar Zaman 01925 400265.
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