west thames college - action planning for race equality with partner colleges
DESCRIPTION
This case study shows how partnerships between colleges can help to address issues of representation, resulting in successful campaigns to promote equality to staff.TRANSCRIPT
Organisation: West Thames CollegeType of FE provider: CollegeFocus on: Equality and Diversity (Race)
Action Planning for Race Equalitywith Partner Colleges
Cas
e st
udy
Information andAdvice Service Tel: 0207 936 5798Email: [email protected]
Summary of activity This case study shows how partnerships betweencolleges can help to address issues of representation,resulting in successful campaigns to promote equalityto staff.
Background and strategic drive for activity West Thames College is a medium-sized furthereducation college situated in the London Boroughof Hounslow. The college’s 6,000-strong studentpopulation is drawn from a long-establishedmulticultural community, with around 60 per centbelonging to a black or minority ethnic group.English is a second language to more than half ofits students. The college has sites across the area,including its main campus in Isleworth and its SkillsCentre based in Feltham.
After looking at the college’s monitoring data,both the college management team and theCommunity Advisory Group (see the ‘Workingwith the Community Advisory Group’ case study)agreed that the college needed to attract andemploy more people from different backgrounds.After strategic-level discussions, the college andadvisory group proposed organising an action-planning session with other colleges in WestLondon (from the local Learning and Skills Council(LSC) region) to see how the college and its sisterinstitutions could increase their levels of staff fromblack and minority ethnic backgrounds.
Set-up and implementationThe issue was raised and actions were agreed duringone of the meetings with West London collegeprincipals, who meet on a regular basis. The Networkfor Black Professionals helped by creating an agendafor the planning session, which was attended byrepresentatives from the following colleges: • College of North West London• Ealing, Hammersmith & West London College• Harrow College• St Dominic’s Sixth Form College• Stanmore College• Uxbridge College.
A representative from the Network for BlackProfessionals also addressed the event, andprovided useful information to the consortiumabout the national context of race equality withinfurther education.
Obstacles facedRates of progress in recruiting from a diverse rangeof backgrounds can vary amongst different colleges.This is being considered as part of ongoing activitywithin each institution.
Impact and achievementsDiscussions during the event were very constructiveand led to an agreement that the colleges could worktogether on key areas such as recruitment and staffdevelopment. The colleges also felt that the eventcould provide a focus for future collaborative activitiessuch as training for staff and ways to promote raceequality positively across the community.
West Thames College was successful in securingfunds from the local LSC to produce marketingliterature for the colleges’ recruitment campaigns.The first was called ‘Teach FE’, which included abooklet containing strong, positive images andstatements to attract people from black and minorityethnic backgrounds to apply for teaching posts at thecolleges. This campaign was followed by a similar onefor professional and support staff called ‘Think FE’,which explicitly mentioned the colleges’ desire toattract more employment applications from diversecommunities. Although it is still too early to see ifthere has been a significant increase in applicationsfrom black and minority ethnic people, it is clear that
one achievement has been the clear and positivemessages sent both internally to existing staff andstudents and externally to the local community.
Links with other equality areas and legal requirementsThis approach for colleges working in partnership toaddress recruitment issues, plan staff developmentand engage with their communities provides apotential planning model, which can in future bemodified to address other equality strands. This willhelp the college to prepare for the forthcomingprovisions of the Equality Bill.
Next stepsIt may be possible for the consortium to holdanother event in the near future, as there remainseveral important areas to discuss and consider,such as appropriate training for all staff in theparticipating colleges.
Lifelong Learning UK5th FloorSt Andrew’s House18-20 St Andrew StreetLondon EC4A 3AY
RW09/09/200910.031
Information and Advice Service
020 7936 5798Email: [email protected]
This information is available in alternative formats from Lifelong Learning UK
Contact
www.lluk.org
Provider contactBilly ElliottVice Principal – Student and Services West Thames College London Road, Isleworth, Middlesex TW7 [email protected]
“This example is useful in highlighting howcolleges can work together on equality issuesto improve the image of the sector andencourage more applications from minorityethnic groups to further education in general.It is also good that the colleges recognisedthe low representation of minority ethnicmembers of the workforce and decided todo something positive about it.”
“A good example of a responsive service, whichhighlights the importance of engaging with thelocal community in a collaborative way.”The Workforce Race Advisory Group
Find out more about the work of The WorkforceRace Advisory Group: www.lluk.org/3151.htm.