DWP CV test - investigation into race bias among UK employers

Sandra Kerr, National Campaign Director, Race for Opportunity comments on the racial discrimination uncovered by the Department for Work and Pensions’ report.

In the current climate of rising unemployment, we must act swiftly to eradicate race bias and prevent the ethnic minority employment gap from widening further. This is not the time for employers to bury their heads in the sand.

'Shocking, but not surprising'

The racial discrimination uncovered by the Department for Work and Pensions’ report is shocking, but not surprising.

It is deeply troubling that British ethnic minorities still experience discrimination in this country. More worrying is that over 30 years after the Race Relations Act there has been a lack of real progress on this issue.

Race for Opportunity supports the Government’s commitment to shining a light on the barriers faced by ethnic minorities in the workplace.

'We must act swiftly'

In the current climate of rising unemployment, we must act swiftly to eradicate race bias and prevent the ethnic minority employment gap from widening further. This is not the time for employers to bury their heads in the sand.

Britain is becoming more culturally diverse. One in four school children in Britain are now from an ethnic minority and we must prevent future generations from experiencing discrimination in the workplace because of their name or the colour of their skin.

Accepting that this is a problem is an important first step and I hope this report will lead to an open dialogue between Government and employers.

Race for Opportunity works with some of the UK’s most progressive employers, all of whom are prepared to review their recruitment processes and introduce steps, such as cultural awareness training, to eradicate racial discrimination in the workplace.