Background to the Research
- In relation specifically
to ethnic minorities the Race Relations (Northern Ireland) Order 1997
refers to the need for training facilities and opportunities. To help
it ensure that it meets its obligations in relation to minorities,
the T&EA was anxious to identify the training and employment needs
of ethnic minorities in Northern Ireland and to be clear about ways
in which it might effectively meet these needs.
- More specifically, this
investigation looked at the needs of the Chinese community in relation
to:
- Awareness of the T&EA's
services;
- The extent to which current
services meet needs;
- The ease or difficulty encountered
in accessing services;
- Implications for the T&EA
planning and monitoring;
- Future development of T&EA
policy in relation to the needs of ethnic minority groups.
Research Approach
- The methodology used included individual
interviews, focus groups and the active participation of a steering
committee that included representatives of ethnic minority community
organisations, the Northern Ireland Commission for Racial Equality,
and T&EA officials.
Main Findings
- T&EA officials are conscious that there
are cultural differences between the Chinese community and other groups
in Northern Ireland. They are also aware that these may affect the
training and employment needs of members of the Chinese community.
Currently there are no clear models for the design and implementation
of policies to address these issues.
- Chinese community representatives raised
similar issues in relation to the distinctiveness of the cultural
and social structures in the Chinese community. They also highlighted
the language problems which some members of the community experience.
- There is only limited awareness within
the Chinese community of the existence of the T&EA and of the services
it provides. In particular there is a need to target information to:
- Young people about to enter the labour
market;
- Parents whose children are making career
decisions;
- Middle-aged people who may wish to move
from the catering industry;
- Women with young children.
- There is a spectrum of different expectations,
needs and priorities within the Chinese community. These are linked
primarily to age and gender. For example, lack of appropriate child
care makes it difficult for some women to access training and employment.
Not all needs are currently being met.
- Even when people know what the T&EA provides
and believe that it may be relevant to their needs, they may still
face problems in actually using services. Language problems were a
major concern and may deter people from seeking information or even
entering T&EA offices.
- Meeting the needs of the Chinese community
more effectively will involve planning and interagency co-operation.
Whilst the T&EA itself will be able to take practical steps in some
areas, for example in providing literature in Chinese, other issues
will require longer term planning and interaction with other government
departments and agencies in the public, voluntary and private sectors
concerned with education, training and employment and social provision.
- The study has highlighted the complex
and evolving nature of the needs of ethnic minorities in Northern
Ireland. In order to develop and help it refine its policies and services,
the T&EA will need to put in place a system for monitoring the needs
of ethnic minorities and evaluating the delivery of the T&EA's services
to these groups.
Recommendations
- There is a clear need to consider how to
overcome language barriers. This might be best considered in the first
instance by regional managers in discussion with the Policy Equality
Unit. One way forward might be to establish a pilot project.
- A number of marketing and Public Relation
issues affecting communication require more detailed consideration.
- There is a need to review the range of
provision of careers advice to ethnic minorities.
- The question of childcare is of great
importance. It would be useful to create a context within which ethnic
minorities are able to articulate their needs in detail, and from
this to help plan how these needs may be satisfied.
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