This timely conference will examine changes in the direction of policy, and best practice, aimed at tackling inequality in workplace recruitment. Policymakers and stakeholders will discuss further action that can be taken by Government, employers and in education.
The agenda includes case studies and practical steps for increasing diversity in elite and professional occupations in the UK for currently under-represented groups - including removing barriers, and creating non-graduate pathways into the professions, as well as future approaches to increasing business engagement with policy, and key issues relating to gender diversity and representation of BAME and LGBT groups in the workforce.
The conference comes with the Prime Minister’s call for employers to adopt name-blind applications to address discrimination and unconscious bias, following research showing that people with traditionally British-sounding names are nearly twice as likely to get job call-backs than candidates expected to be from other backgrounds.
Discussion will be informed by the recent report on Non-educational barriers to the elite professions from the Social Mobility and Child Poverty Commission, and the agenda includes an address from its lead author Dr Louise Ashley, Lecturer in Human Resources Management and Organisational Behaviour, Royal Holloway, University of London.
Overall, areas for discussion include:
Changing recruitment practices - removing barriers, supporting new pathways into the professions, equality monitoring, and encouraging recruitment from a wider range of universities and geographical locations;
Engaging employers - exploring the impact so far of the previous Government’s Business Compact and further steps for businesses to participate in and benefit from the social mobility agenda - with a keynote contribution from Norman Pickavance, Director, Brand, Culture and Sustainability, Grant Thornton;
Improving BAME representation - encouraging greater diversity in elite professions - with a keynote contribution from Sky;
Gender diversity in senior roles - with discussion on policy and other developments in increasing the number of women in executive management roles; and
LGBT inclusivity in the workplace - initiatives on tackling discrimination and supporting employees.
The draft agenda is copied below my signature, and a regularly updated version is available to download here. The seminar is organised on the basis of strict impartiality by the Westminster Employment Forum.
Speakers
We are delighted to be able to include in this seminar keynote addresses from: Lee Davies, Chief Executive, Chartered Institute of Patent Attorneys and Member, Access to the Professions Steering Group; Norman Pickavance, Director, Brand, Culture and Sustainability, Grant Thornton; Dr Louise Ashley, Lecturer in Human Resources Management and Organisational Behaviour, Royal Holloway, University of London and a senior speaker confirmed from Sky.
Further confirmed speakers include: Sarah Gregory, Inclusion and Diversity Partner, Baker & McKenzie and Keith Herrmann, Director of Employability, University of Surrey and Convenor, Careers Sector Stakeholders Alliance.
Additional senior participants are being approached.
Networking
This seminar will present an opportunity to engage with key policymakers and other interested parties, and is CPD certified (more details).
Places have been reserved by officials from DWP; Office for National Statistics the NAO. Also due to attend are representatives from City & Guilds; Deloitte; Rolls-Royce; Skills for Care; Stoke City Council; The University of Manchester; TMP Worldwide; University of East London and University Of Leeds.
Overall we expect speakers and attendees to be a senior and informed group numbering around 120, including Members of both Houses of Parliament, senior officials from the DfE, BIS and other relevant Departments, as well as school and college leaders, universities, representatives of employers and professional associations, community groups, representatives of stakeholders, academics, and reporters from the national and trade press.
Output and About Us
A key output of the seminar will be a transcript of the proceedings, sent out around 10 working days after the event to all attendees and a wider group of Ministers and officials at DfE, BIS and other government departments and agencies affected by the issues; and Parliamentarians with a special interest in these areas. It will also be made available more widely. This document will include transcripts of all speeches and questions and answers sessions from the day, along with access to PowerPoint presentations, speakers’ biographies, an attendee list, an agenda, sponsor information, as well as any subsequent press coverage of the day and any articles or comment pieces submitted by delegates. It is made available subject to strict restrictions on public use, similar to those for Select Committee Uncorrected Evidence, and is intended to provide timely information for interested parties who are unable to attend on the day.
All delegates will receive complimentary PDF copies and are invited to contribute to the content.
The Westminster Employment Forum is strictly impartial and cross-party, and draws on the considerable support it receives from within Parliament and Government, and amongst the wider stakeholder community. The Forum has no policy agenda of its own. Forum events are frequently the platform for major policy statements from senior Ministers, regulators and other officials, opposition speakers and senior opinion-formers in industry and interest groups. Events regularly receive prominent coverage in the national and trade press.
Booking arrangements
To book places, please use our online booking form.
Once submitted, this will be taken as a confirmed booking and will be subject to our terms and conditions below.
Please pay in advance by credit card on 01344 864796. If advance credit card payment is not possible, please let me know and we may be able to make other arrangements.
Options and charges are as follows:
Places atImproving access to the professions and tackling inequality in workplace recruitment: policy reform and best practice (including refreshments and PDF copy of the transcripts) are £210 plus VAT;
Concessionary rate places for small charities, unfunded individuals and those in similar circumstances are £80 plus VAT. Please be sure to apply for this at the time of booking.
For those who cannot attend:
Copies of the briefing document, including full transcripts of all speeches and the questions and comments sessions and further articles from interested parties, will be available approximately 10 days after the event for £95 plus VAT;
Concessionary rate: £50 plus VAT.
If you find the charge for places a barrier to attending, please let me know as concessionary and complimentary places are made available in certain circumstances (but do be advised that this typically applies to individual service users or carers or the like who are not supported by or part of an organisation, full-time students, people between jobs or who are fully retired with no paid work, and representatives of small charities - not businesses, individuals funded by an organisation, or larger charities/not-for-profit companies). Please note terms and conditions below (including cancellation charges).
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