Report Summary –
Ethnic Minority Women and Access to the Labour Market


















Purpose of Study
Research the skills achievements and aspirations of ethnic minority women in selected localities.
Investigate mismatches between skills and employment opportunities.
Identify the support needs of ethnic minority which need to be met if they are to overcome
barriers in accessing the labour market or progressing within it.
Provide opportunities for activities that will be empowering and confidence-building for women
from ethnic minority groups.
Make recommendations about ways of supporting ethnic minority women in entering/
progressing in the labour market.
Key Findings
Ethnicity in Somerset
Compared with the South West and England as a whole, Somerset has a very small Ethnic
Minority population.
Within the county the largest ethnic minority group is the ’White Other’ group (44% of ethnic
minority women in Somerset).
Sedgemoor and West Somerset have the smallest ethnic minority populations.
Migrant workers in the South West
The vast majority of the incoming workforce to the region is young with 88% estimated to be in
the 18-34 age group.
Many of the new workers are thought to be over qualified and skilled beyond the jobs they are
doing.
Barriers to employment for these groups include agency exploitation, transfer of qualifications,
inadequate advice and guidance and lack of good English.
Racism in Somerset (Community Safety)
The experience of prejudice, harassment and discrimination has been described as
‘the absolute key issue’ for ethnic minorities.
Somerset ranks 8th highest for the number of reported racist incidents in relation to the
size of its ethnic minority population.
78% of 145 ethnic minority people surveyed by Somerset’s Racial Equalities Council
claimed they had experienced some form of racial discrimination, harassment or unfair
treatment over the previous two years.
Education (AL&L)
Ethnic minority women are underrepresented on some Adult Learning courses, with
lower levels of achievement than other students.
79% of Adult and Community Learning (ACL) funded students are female. Only 1.2%
are from ethnic minority groups.
Overall, the ethnic minority population is more likely to have higher level qualifications,
but more likely to be unemployed than their white counterparts.
Employment (Adult Primary Care, Early Years, Transport)
Barriers to employment include caring responsibilities, lack of childcare, limited public
transport, costly private transport, low wages, low confidence & lack of experience.




Other factors include lone parent issues, the gender pay gap, workplace
discrimination, ageism and lack of social networks.
Voluntary sector organisations in Somerset
Recent evidence suggests that in rural areas grassroots infrastructure supporting
ethnic minority groups continues to be weak, with minority communities forced to rely
on their own resources to support themselves.
In recent years the Somerset Black Development Agency and the Somerset Race
Equality Council have been set up to develop the ethnic minority voluntary
infrastructure in Somerset.
These groups focus on improvements in education, training, health, social well-being
and the employment prospects of ethnic minority individuals in Somerset.
Barriers and sources of disadvantage
 Migration history: settlement and assimilation patterns, residency status, whether first or
subsequent generations.
 Language, qualifications, skills and experience: these affected women’s confidence,
employment aspirations, and ability their ability to access information and support services.
 Aspirations/confidence: depended on levels of qualifications and skills. Women were generally
keen to improve their skills and work where appropriate opportunities arose.
 Local area: rural isolation, poor local support infrastructure, including childcare, public transport
and other services.
 Suitable job opportunities: Restricted by availability, tourist season, social/professional
contacts /networks, location, hours, pay & skills. Routes to paid work through voluntary sector.
 Cultural and personal/family circumstances: These are highly variable within and between
ethnic groups; can be both barriers to and enabling factors.
 Discrimination and racism: Frequent experiences and awareness of direct verbal and physical
abuse, in the street, at school/college and at work.
Evidence gathered from this study suggests that there are several examples of local good practice
that support ethnic minority women in moving closer to the labour market. Nevertheless, very
substantial challenges remain for this growing and changing community.




Key Recommendations:
Skills/Training: Accredit skills and experience gained in the voluntary sector, offer clearer
guidance to women returners on training options, preparation for job applications and work
experience opportunities through JobCentre Plus, offer formal accreditation mechanisms which
recognise practical competences & skills and recognise prior skills/qualifications gained abroad.
Employment: challenge attitudes assumption and practices within workplaces, offer mentoring
and working placement opportunities and ensure staff development support that is sensitive to
individual need. Design part-time local jobs that fit the availability of working mothers and
provide mainstream equalities/diversity policies across all sectors.
Access: Improve access to childcare which is flexible and culturally sensitive, consider barriers
to public transport faced by different groups, extend ESOL support with free access to courses in
assessable locations which is culturally sensitive, and offer pre-interview/job support in schools,
colleges and elsewhere.
Information: provide information on local organisations and groups, advertise jobs in targeted
local community settings and promote better targeting and promotion of information and services
to ethnic minority women.