§ The Minister for Social Exclusion and Deputy Minister for Women (Mrs. Barbara Roche)The Strategy Unit's report, "Ethnic Minorities and the Labour Market", is being published today as agreed Government policy. The report contains a wide-ranging new Government strategy that aims to ensure that British ethnic minority groups no longer face unfair barriers to achievement in the labour market. The report demonstrates that the underlying causes of under achievement are complex, and that Government strategy should be targeted to address these varied obstacles to achievement.
The report contains actions in three areas:
In building employability—New incentives for schools to address gaps between ethnic groups, while redirecting existing resources to genuine need, and promoting greater take-up of best practice.60WSIn connecting people with work—Making crucial adjustments to existing jobs and training programmes to get better employment outcomes, and connecting people more effectively to the world of work via childcare, transport and housing.In improving equal opportunities in the workplace—Offering poorly-informed firms concrete support to become good equal opportunities employers; addressing unfair practices by discriminatory employers; and encouraging more public bodies to take account of race equality in public procurement contracts.My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions will report on progress to the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, Productivity and Competitiveness. The Government will set up a task force—chaired by the Minister for Work—to help departments work in more co-ordinated ways to deliver improved labour market outcomes for ethnic minorities. This task force will issue annual reports on progress, with a full review of progress after three years.
Copies of the report have been placed in the Vote Office and the Libraries.