On the launch of our Discrimination and work: breaking down the barriers faced by ethnically minoritised young people report, Nishi Mayor, Director of Employer Engagement & Partnerships at Youth Futures Foundation, shares her insights on why employers should and can take action to ensure all young people gain and sustain good work.
Reading the research findings is a stark reminder of the reality of working life for ethnically minoritised young people – the simple truth is for many of them work just doesn’t work.
The majority of those who had experienced discrimination said they hadn’t reported it (as they felt it would make no difference) – and seven in ten young people who had faced discrimination planned to switch industries. This is unsurprising as the impact of experiencing racist banter/jokes (33%) is that they feel embarrassed, knocking their confidence and self-esteem.
Not only are we failing our young people, but we are failing to address some of the key issues faced by employers today, from skills gaps to low productivity and a tight labour market. Employers should do more to ensure that their organisations are open to all young people, the cost for not doing so is high on both sides.
