BAME graduates facing major jobs gap in the UK

Black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) groups are experiencing significant job gaps in the UK, despite recent figures suggesting that the number of BAME students receiving degrees has increased.

The study was conducted by the Resolution Foundation, who found that the number of ethnic minority students obtaining university degrees has increased in recent years, from 12% in 1996-99 to 30% in 2014-17.

Research within the study also found that the number of working-age Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi students with degrees has more than trebled since the end of the 1990’s.

Despite these figures, the analysis showed that Pakistani and Bangladeshi graduates are about 12% less likely to be in work than white British graduates. Further evidence also suggests that black African and Bangladeshi graduates are also twice as likely to work in low-paying occupations, compared to Indian, white and Chinese students.

For the Resolution Foundation, these figures suggest that “there is still a long way to go before progress on educational attainment would fully feed into the labour market”.

These labour market disadvantages are a big living standard concern and mean we risk failing to make the most of the investment in education.
Kathleen Henehan

The study coincides with a recent announcement by Theresa May, who is calling for an audit on racial disparity within the public services, in order to reveal racial differences in key areas such as health, education and employment.

Both the think-tank study and the government audit were announced after the Guardian revealed that the majority of Britain’s most powerful and influential people are all white.

From a list of just over 1,000 of the UK’s top political, financial, judicial, cultural and security figures, drawn up by the Guardian, in partnership with Operation Black Vote and in consultation with academics, only 3.4% were found to be from minority ethnic groups.

The analysis also found that only 0.7% of people in these categories were BAME women.

In February this year, the Boar reported that Black & minority ethnic (BME) students were 15 percent less likely to get a first-class degree at Warwick. Further analysis in this area was obtained through a Freedom of Information request, which showed that only 20.3% of BME students achieved a first last year at Warwick, compared to 35.5% of white students.

A report by London’s SOAS Students’ Union (SU) earlier this year claimed that factors such as the “centring of white perspectives in the curriculum and in class discussions, the over-representation of white people among staff and students on some courses, biased assessment practices, and racism by staff and students” all contribute to the attainment gap between white and BME students.

Russel Group and Oxbridge universities are just not doing enough
Amatey Doku

When speaking about the research, Kathleen Henehan, a policy analyst at the Resolution Foundation, commented: “The rising share of people going to university is a well-known British success story of recent decades. The progress made by black and ethnic minority groups is astounding…”

“But despite this success, graduates from a black and ethnic minority background still face significant employment and pay penalties in the workforce. These labour market disadvantages are a big living standard concern and mean we risk failing to make the most of the investment made in their education.”

Amatey Doku‏, of the National Union of Students, also commented on this disparity, claiming that “Russel Group and Oxbridge universities are just not doing enough” to overcome these differences.

Final-year student Rochelle Smith and Events Officer for Warwick Anti-Racism Society said: “I find it rather telling of the privileges that some people possess that these figures are apparently ‘surprising’ to some. Racialised discrepancies exist throughout all of the institutions in our society but they are not being tackled on a structural level – the root causes are not being acknowledged or deconstructed – and this is true also within universities.”

“As such, the higher up you look hierarchically the less Black and Brown people you are likely to see. None of this is new, or shocking.”