The Attraction Factor ñ local businesses tackle race inequality in the workplace

According to a recent report by the Business Commission (a government think-tank) Greater Manchester is one of the worst performing cities in terms of race equality in employment prospects. The Business Commission was set up at the request of Gordon Brown (the then Chancellor of Exchequer) and recently published its report - ì60/76î. The 60/76 title refers to the 16% employment rate gap for ethnic minority and non ethnic minority citizens - in Greater Manchester this gap is closer to 20%.

Greater Manchester Employer Coalition (GMEC) is bringing leading local businesses together to examine how they can tackle race equality in the workplace. ìThe Atraction Factorî event takes place on Thursday 10th January 2008 (9am-1pm) at The co-operative in Manchester. Local employers will learn about the role they can play in attracting talent from ethnic minority communities. As more than one in ten people of working age in the UK come from a black and ethnic minority background, this represents a significant pool of talent and skills within the Greater Manchester economy.

The event is aimed at employers who want to recruit the best possible applicants from across the whole of the Greater Manchester community and prevent indirect discrimination as discrimination can stop businesses from making rational recruitment decisions.

Amanda Jones, Head of Diversity at The co-operative and GMEC board member said: ìI believe the critical factor for change is organisational leadership, but also leadership from us as individuals and professionals within our organisations, where it is very much a case of nurturing diversity champions and seizing business opportunity to make an impact on this issue.î

The Attraction Factor event, will explore the incentives and motivations for employers to lead action in their workplaces in order to promote race equality. Most importantly, it will focus on the practical steps and actions that employers can and need to take, in order to reach out to the community to attract people from black and ethnic minority communities.

The University of Manchesterís Assistant Director of Human Resources and GMEC Board Member, Steve Grant said: ìIf employers do not change their practices, people from ethnic minorities, no matter how qualified and experienced they are, will not compete on fair terms, and discrimination and disadvantage will persist.î

The event will include a range of informative, challenging and interactive workshops that aim to impart good practice, provide independent, commercially focused advice and create a framework for further activity.