Making The Leap Chief Executive Tunde Banjoko OBE comments upon the most significant ever report on race equality in the UK, and its implications for social mobility
19th August 2016: CEO of Youth and social mobility charity Making The Leap draws attention to the social mobility chances of young people from ethnic minorities.
The Equalities and Human Rights report, published on 18 August 2016, found that since 2010, unemployment rates have risen sharply amongst young people from ethnic minorities. The 49% increase is in stark contrast to the 2% drop in unemployment rates amongst their white counterparts. The report, which examined a wide range of issues including education and criminal justice, also highlighted the inequality between the career chances of white and black young people, including the concerning statistic that black people achieving A-Levels are likely to be paid 14.3% less than white people.
Making The Leap’s Chief Executive Tunde Banjoko OBE said:
“The report from the Equalities and Human Rights Commission confirmed what many of us already knew, that the country still has a long way to go to becoming a society where your life chances are not affected by the colour of your skin or the income of your parents. Much of the discourse around social mobility ignores race, and indeed the mobility chances of 2nd generation ethnic minorities are shaped by their social class in the much same way as their white British peers. However, race is indeed implicated in social mobility, because of the significant factor race plays in unemployment rates and with some young people from ethnic minorities (notably young men of black African and black Caribbean origin) almost twice as likely to be unemployed as young white British men.
Tackling race inequality is important if we wish to improve social mobility, they are not one and the same, but without the former we will not achieve the latter for many of our young people.”
ENDS
Notes to editors
- Attitude and aspirations account for a staggering 22% of the rich/poor gap at GCSE attainment. This means that changing the mindset of young people would substantially increase their chances of academic success.
- 93% of employers consider soft skills to be just as important if not more important than hard skills when evaluating job candidates. This means that young people who do not possess soft skills find it difficult to get on the career ladder.
- Since 1993, Making The Leap has specialised in soft skills training to improve social mobility. It has helped over 34,800 people and last year supported over 7,000 11-25 year olds across London, developing skills that will help them succeed in and beyond school, and helping them access career opportunities with top companies.
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