WQ80539 (e) Tabled on 04/06/2020

How many Commission staff vacancies were filled by applicants from ethnic minority communities in the first quarter of 2020?

Answered by Senedd Commission | Answered on 07/08/2020

Increasing BAME representation in our workforce is a priority for the Commission.

The 2011 Census shows that 6.8% of people who are economically active and employed in the Cardiff Travel to Work area identify as BAME. In 2019-20, we received 64 applications from people who identify as BAME; this is an increase from the previous year and represented 7.1% of total applications. 3 BAME applicants were successful at interview and were offered employment.

The Commission collects and reports its data in line with financial year (April-March) reporting, and will formally publish its latest data in July 2020.

We recognise that there is still more we can do to increase BAME representation in our workforce. In 19/20 we have:

  • formed new partnerships to target our recruitment efforts and reviewed our recruitment branding to ensure it is more inclusive. As a result the outreach and engagement work we undertook as part of our recent Apprenticeship Scheme resulted in a 48% increase in BAME applicants.
  • signed up to the Race at Work charter.
  • saw our first BAME apprentice win the Quality Skills Alliance Apprentice of the Year award.
  • worked with Business in the Community Wales to identify actions to increase BAME representation.
  • through all our networks, including REACH, received bespoke Chair training and Network Development training, and the REACH Network have re-branded and launched with three new co-Chairs working in partnership with the senior leadership team.

In 20/21 we will:

  • continue to work with Business in the Community Wales to evolve our action plan to address under-representation in our workforce. This involves supporting our existing BAME colleagues to fulfil their potential and also ensuring we take appropriate steps to attract the widest and diverse range of talent to apply for jobs with us.
  • put in place an on-line recruitment system which will allow us to reach a greater diversity of candidate and continue to focus on outreach to build on our community partnership.
  • through our senior champion for BAME colleagues, and REACH, our Race, Ethnicity and Cultural Heritage workplace equality network, continue to raise the profile of the network, both internally and externally.
  • incorporate this work into a wider strategy to address underrepresentation in our workforce via the development of an attraction strategy, which is inclusive of all the protected characteristics.
  • explore ways in which we can raise awareness of the work of the Senedd Commission, and career opportunities, with BAME communities both locally and across Wales.

(The Commission’s response was published after Mohammad Asghar MS’s death)