Social Diversity & Inclusion
Current analysis of the labour market reveals substantial imbalances with under-representation of women, black, minority and ethnic groups as well as people with disabilities and older workers.
Women, black, minority and ethnic groups remain under-represented in specific occupations such as management and professional positions. Contributing to these imbalances is the lack of flexible working practices, such as part-time working and job sharing, which make work more accessible to a diverse population.
While the female portion of employment has risen to 46% in 11 out of 22 ‘Sector Skills Councils’ sectors for which data was available at the time of research, women still comprise a third or less of the workforce. The gender pay gap is also still a significant issue.
Employers can help by making the case for diversity, by supporting targeted training, and by embedding diversity strategically through occupational standards, qualifications frameworks and labour market intelligence.