Government needs to Reach Further

The Black Training and Enterprise Group welcomes the REACH report launched today but believes the recommendations do not go far enough in dealing with the crisis in the black community.

Jeremy Crook OBE, Director of BTEG and Chair of DCLG's Race Equality Advisory Group said:

It is discrimination in the workplace that holds black men and women back not the lack of role models. BTEG urges Hazel Blears, Community Secretary to focus on the root problem which is the lack of employment opportunities in black areas.

Why?

The local groups that are best placed to help black males are starved of funding and therefore find it difficult to provide local role models, i.e. black men in work looking after themselves and their families.

The recent Commission on Integration and Commission's report bizarrely calls on the government to stop funding black groups that focus on the black community. This is clearly at odds with the thrust of the REACH recommendations and will not help solve the issues in the black community.

Research carried out by BTEG into secondary schools shows that many schools are failing to mainstream race equality and fully meet their duty under the Race Relations Amendments Act. And Ofsted, the inspection body for schools virtually has no black senior staff.

Crook says:

Yes, role model programmes can help but what we need is jobs for our young black men. This week parts of the media have been attacking PATH National, a black organisation, for running positive action programmes to help black people break into workforce where they are under represented. For example we have a low number of black planners in this country. We should all be praising organisations like this for inspiring and supporting young black people to realise their ambitions and for helping the UK workforce to reflect the population.
 
All too often when we talk to regeneration practitioners in black communities, they say that they have found it 'hard to reach' the black community. However, this observation is often made when the funding is about to run out. The government spends a lot of money in deprived areas but it is not benefiting black males, we need more jobs, more new businesses and a lot less racial discrimination in the workplace. When government provides the right level of sustainable funding for black organisations they can deliver the solutions and often with the public and private sectors. Black voluntary and community groups must be part of the solution, and this can only happen if funds REACH them.

End.

Notes to editors:

1. About BTEG

BTEG (the Black Training & Enterprise Group) is a national organisation set up to ensure fair access and outcomes for black communities in education, employment, skills and enterprise and to act as a catalyst for enabling black groups and individuals to play an active role in the economic regeneration of local communities through partnership with others.

BTEG wants to see measurable improvements for black people nationally, in four key areas:

� Employment - Increasing the employment rates for black people to the national average

� Economic Regeneration - Ensuring black communities contribute to the economic regeneration of their communities

� Education - Raising the attainment levels of black pupils in education to the national average

� Enterprise - Increasing the chances of success and growth for black entrepreneurs and black enterprises

BTEG strives to achieve these core aims through a range of lobbying and support activities. This involves working with black communities. Organisations and businesses involved in regeneration activities as well as with statutory agencies that develop or influence policy in the above areas.

BTEG is funded by DCLG's Connecting Communities Grant, Barrow Cadbury Trust, National Lottery and Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust.

2. For further information, contact:

Jeremy Crook OBE
Director, BTEG
Telephone: 020 7843 6111
Mobile: 0776 6114877

date added - 9 August 2007