§ Ms RuddockTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment what steps have been taken since 1986 to improve employment and training opportunities for the Bangladeshi population in Britain.
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§ Mr. McLoughlinThe Employment Department is committed to the principle of equality of opportunity in all its employment and training programmes. This policy is implemented through the race relations advisory service (RREAS), which helps to improve opportunities for all ethnic minority groups, and training and enterprise councils (TECs). TECs have a contractual obligation to ensure equality of opportunity in all their activities.
The Employment Act 1989 encouraged wider use of positive action training both in training providers and employers. The RREAS helps by publicising what the special provisions allow and encouraging employers to use them.
The Government recognise that those with little English language or low levels of literacy skills will face significant barriers to getting the skills and qualifications to help them get jobs. Those with such needs are eligible to start training for work, the main programme for unemployed adults, without having to be unemployed for six months.
TECs are uniquely placed to work with local communities and all relevant agencies to help address specific needs and overcome barriers. Since their launch in 1989, some TECs have developed provision specifically for local Bangladeshi communities, and others provide a wide range of support for all ethnic minority groups, to which members from Bangladeshi communities have equal access. The ethnic minority grant, administered by the Home Office, has been successful in providing TECs with extra help in overcoming language or cultural barriers in particular.