Draft Race Equality Scheme 2005-2008
A NIACE response to the consultation by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister.
Published August 2005
NIACE has an interest in those parts of the Race Equality Scheme (RES) that touch on learning and development. NIACE is a non-governmental organisation working for more and different adult learners, with a particular concern for increasing participation among those groups not benefiting equally from education and training. The active promotion of equal opportunities and diversity underpins this work and we have expertise in-house in Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) issues: among our work in this area we host the Black Practitioners and Learners Network, financed by the Local Government Association.
Learning underpins community empowerment
We welcome the references in the document to community engagement, participation and empowerment, in the context of neighbourhood renewal (p16), customer-focused local services and the roles and function of local government (pp 24-25) and creating decent places to live (pp43-45 and 48) and the intention to ensure that this includes the most marginalised communities, particularly those of Black and Minority Ethnic origin. NIACE would argue that success in this entails training and awareness-raising not only for paid staff among service providers and representative bodies but for residents themselves. From our own research and development activity we have evidence that learning can give people greater choice, empowerment and autonomy, and help them to become active contributors to a democratic, pluralist society, as well as encouraging consideration for the environment and sustainable development.
Learning blurs boundaries between communities and professionals
Including residents among the target groups for ‘The Learning Curve’ that underpins delivery of the National Strategy for Neighbourhood Renewal was a significant step forward, and their de-prioritising in the later ‘Skills for Sustainable Communities’ was a disappointing flaw in that report and the subsequent proposals for the Academy for Sustainable Communities. We would suggest that one way to achieve the objective of increasing BME representation among regeneration and design professionals (p40) would be to encourage a ‘grow your own’ approach that values and builds on the unique experiences of members of disadvantaged communities themselves, establishing a career path from ‘active citizen’ to paid professional rather than reinforcing the gulf between the two ‘sides’ that has blighted many previous regeneration initiatives. This may call for additional resources, and innovation and flexibility in design and delivery of learning opportunities. The proposals for community researchers (p37) hint at this approach and we would encourage ODPM to ensure that researchers receive excellent training and on-going support, that their new skills are properly recognised and that they receive guidance on ways of using and extending them.
Workforce development
The same ‘grow your own’ philosophy could similarly help with the aims of increasing BME representation in the Local Authority workforce, especially at senior management levels (pp26 and 29). Many surveys show that, as a rule, the higher people’s existing qualifications, the more is spent on their further development at work, and it would be good to see action to implement these objectives helping to redress that imbalance. One avenue ODPM might explore here is the increasing role of Trade Unions in promoting, supporting and delivering learning in the workplace.
Barriers to learning = unequal access to economic prosperity
While the RES acknowledges that skills development in support of economic growth is not the primary responsibility of the ODPM (belonging more properly with DfES, Regional Development Agencies (RDAs) and the Learning and Skills Council (LSC)), NIACE believes that limitations in the current arrangements for learning for adults could jeopardise some of the aims ODPM has set itself in this document, and encourages it to use its influence with its partners, centrally and through Government Offices, to bring about change. Reductions in funding for adult learning, and a narrowing focus on a few centrally-determined performance targets, are in danger of creating barriers for low-skilled adults. The research underpinning Light and shade: participation in learning by minority ethnic adults (NIACE 2003) makes it clear that certain communities – notably Pakistani and Bangladeshi groups – are particularly under-represented in adult learning. Without appropriate, accessible opportunities to join in education and develop skills, there is therefore a danger that BME communities will continue to miss out on economic prosperity as regions develop. Moreover the same funding regime makes it increasingly difficult to provide the kind of locally-based learning opportunities that support the engagement, empowerment and participation by individuals in disadvantaged communities that ODPM says it wants to see.
We welcome the declaration that RDAs need to understand demographic and equality and diversity issues, and involve social and environmental as well as economic interests in development of Regional Economic Strategies. Pursuit of a purely economic agenda, without reference to the wider social context, is unlikely to succeed. We welcome too the requirement to involve the voluntary and community sector and BME networks, and we believe these contacts would share the concerns highlighted here.
Social exclusion
Concerned as we are with improving education services to disadvantaged and excluded groups, NIACE endorses the objectives of the Social Exclusion Unit. We have worked closely with the Unit in the past and continue to contribute through information-sharing and advice in direct contact with officials, and through formal consultation responses. Our response to ‘Improving service delivery for disadvantaged adults’ (February 2005) advocated a proven model of consultation at community level that would support the RES’ proposed actions to involve BME groups in focus groups, and other key messages from that response – particularly the importance of learning to community empowerment, and the inadequacy of current adult learning arrangements in supporting appropriate opportunities – still hold good. The full response is at http://www.niace.org.uk/Organisation/advocacy/SocialExclusion/ServiceDelivery.htm .
Gypsies and travellers
We are interested to see the proposal to establish a Gypsy and Traveller Unit to lead inter-departmental working to help with access to services such as education. This looks to be a promising development, and we would hope that adult education will be not be forgotten. NIACE has supported adult learning providers working with gypsy and traveller communities and would be happy to share our experiences of challenges and successes.
About NIACE
NIACE is a registered charity and a company limited by guarantee. We are a membership organisation, with individual members and more than 500 corporate members across the full range of learning providers, policy makers and users of adult learning opportunities. NIACE’s work crosses the sectoral boundaries of post-school education and training. It works in all fields of UK education and training, including local authority-organised provision, the further education college sector, higher education in universities and colleges of higher education, work-based learning involving both employers and trade unions, learning in the voluntary and community sector and through the media, especially broadcasters. Our website at www.niace.org.uk has further information.
