Action needed to improve equal opportunities in training

Citation

(2001), "Action needed to improve equal opportunities in training", Education + Training, Vol. 43 No. 2. https://doi.org/10.1108/et.2001.00443bab.008

Action needed to improve equal opportunities in training

Action needed to improve equal opportunities in training

Keywords: Training, Equal opportunities

Inspections of work-based learning by Training Standards Council inspectors reveal an uneven picture of equal-opportunities practice in the workplace. Promoting Equal Opportunities, a report by the council, shows that strategies formed by many providers of training avoid inequality rather than positively promote equality. The principle of equality of opportunity is generally supported by training providers, but as long as understanding is confined to complying with contracts and meeting statutory requirements, opportunities for increasing inclusion in training and employment are being lost. Many providers are under the misconception that an open-door policy for recruitment automatically leads to equality of opportunity. To many training staff, trainees and employers, "equal opportunities" means no more than issues of gender and ethnicity. People who lack social skills, for example, or those who have mild behavioural difficulties are frequently barred from employment unnecessarily. "Many people who choose work-based training do so because they are not well served by formal education," said David Sherlock, chief inspector. "Among them are people who lack basic skills and people who are discriminated against but who have much to offer in a technological society."

While greater effort is needed in producing promotional materials that address the whole range of potential clients, publicity alone is not always enough. Forward-thinking training providers who have taken positive action to forge links with local community groups have been able to recruit trainees who reflect the population they serve. Equality of opportunity is better in London than elsewhere, reflecting the energy with which London training and enterprise councils have addressed the issue. Funds which are available to support equal-opportunities initiatives are underused, often because training providers do not know they exist. Additional funding can be used effectively to widen participation in training among under-represented groups, as providers who have called on the European Social Fund and the Single Regeneration budget have proved.