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Action, impact and collaboration!

Key Insights on Diversity & Culture from leading figures from the Skills sector.

On 19th October 2022, the Patrons of the Multicultural Apprenticeship Alliance got together In Birmingham to further their cause of promoting social mobility, diversity, inclusion, and equity in apprenticeships.

Being part of the conversation transforming the face of the future workforce in our country should be at the forefront of every business leader. But unfortunately, the struggles of talent acquisition, staff retention and having a highly trained workforce are still as prevalent today as they were years ago.

Jagdeep Soor, Head of Strategic Partnership, stated: “we discussed tapping into a hidden pool to strengthen businesses, supporting the levelling up agenda, as well as achieving equity, diversity and inclusion in the workspace” Multicultural Apprenticeship Alliance was founded to promote apprenticeship diversity through three pillars:

Educate – working with employers, training providers and colleges to educate on Multicultural Representation in the workplace
Engage – through various partners; we engage with multicultural communities across the country
Recruit – employers to promote opportunities to underrepresented talent.

Our Vision: Improving opportunities and discovering hidden talent in underrepresented communities. To work with likeminded, purpose led employers who want to create diverse, profitable and inclusive businesses”.

The day included leading influencers and thinkers, and the topics discussed included:

Apprenticeship Outcome and Destination by Emily Austin, CEO of the Association of Apprenticeships, who discussed their joint report written with the Learning & Work Institute,
Attraction & Retention of Apprentices workshop delivered by the Birmingham & Solihull Ladder team
Updates from the Head of Commercial and Events Ambassador and Lead at Pathway Group, discussing their plans with Multicultural Apprenticeship Awards and the Festival of Apprentices

The thematic messages and takeaways are:

Collaboration Collaboration Collaboration – Sharing best practice and insights is the key that connects everything and cannot be underestimated.
Career Pathways should be clear – The need for career progression opportunities should be addressed by employers, making clear the stratification of roles and responsibilities at each point. Apprentices need to be aware of the progression available to them and be supported and given a chance to meet these prominent roles.

To address some of the concerns discussed, The Multicultural Apprenticeship Alliance will aim to work with Patrons to:

Increase the visibility of positive Apprentice role models and leaders
Support employers of all shapes and sizes to –

Engage with various communities, targeting, in particular, the ‘harder to reach’
Market more career opportunities to potential apprentices from different backgrounds
Create more progression opportunities for all apprentices.
Further promote and help develop a more diverse, inclusive, and equal workplace for all.

I would like to thank the Multicultural Apprenticeship Alliance patrons that continue to support the alliance on such a critical topic. The conversation and commitment to drive a movement with a clear vision and impact from industry thought leaders were invaluable. A massive thank you to JTL for hosting the day, and we are looking forward to the next Patrons meeting in January 2023.
Safaraz Ali, CEO of Pathway Group, the Founder of the Multicultural Apprenticeship Alliance

It was a pleasure to be able to support all the Multicultural Apprenticeship Alliance patrons and meet face to face with patrons old and new. Meeting in person again served to reinforce once again the importance of collective collaboration to ensure that the shared goal of ensuring that future talented people understand the amazing possibilities that choosing the apprenticeship career route can offer – and how essential working to nurture, support and mentor apprentices who are the next generation of our workforce is.
Rachel Jagger-Thomas, at JTL

The Apprenticeship Diversity Social Mobility Forum has been arranged for 16th November 2022, with presentations from The Open University and Social Mobility Commission.

The next Patron meeting has been organised for January 2023.

If you are interested in learning more about the Multicultural Apprenticeship Alliance and The Apprenticeship Diversity Social Mobility Forum, don’t hesitate to contact:

Jagdeep Soor, Head of Strategic Partnerships on jagdeep.soor@pathwaygroup.co.uk

Action, impact and collaboration!

Key Insights on Diversity & Culture from leading figures from the Skills sector.

We welcome you to be part of the conversation and solution for the drive to a more inclusive and diverse future workforce