Tackling the under-representation of Black and minority ethnic groups in the library & information profession can bring real benefits for employers, as Tim Buckley Owen discovers.
The figures are stark: in the UK, one person in thirteen comes from a Black or minority ethnic group; in the library and information profession, it could be as few as one in forty four. No-one disputes that this is an injustice that needs addressing – but isn’t CILIP’s Encompass scheme asking a lot of employers?
Unanimously given the final go-ahead by CILIP Council last April, Encompass is a positive action trainee scheme for members of Black and minority ethnic groups seeking to pursue a library & information career. Under the scheme, trainees spend three years with an employer, including on average four days a week at work and one day studying; the whole process is managed on CILIP’s behalf by the specialist training agency Path National, to which employers are asked to pay an annual fee.
Employers have the option of either creating a post specifically for the purpose of accommodating an Encompass trainee, or they can convert an existing post into a traineeship – perhaps when someone retires. According to CILIP’s head of policy & advocacy Guy Daines, this can offer more benefits for employers than might at first appear.
‘Employers pay Encompass trainees an allowance instead of a salary, so they can save on staff costs,’ he explains. ‘They also save on National Insurance contributions, recruitment costs, and possibly on pension contributions as well.’
In fact, even with all costs taken into account, it’s quite possible for the traineeship to end up costing the employer less than the full time post it replaces, Guy continues. So it may even be a means for an employer to save a post that is under threat.
‘There is now a legal imperative for action on equality and diversity issues, but there is also a sound business case to be made,’ confirms Ayub Khan, chair of CILIP’s Equal Opportunities & Diversity Panel and also of Encompass’s steering committee. ‘Good recruitment practices, which lead to a more diverse workforce, give employers access to a comprehensive range of knowledge, experience and skills.’
‘Many BME librarians may have additional language and cultural skills and knowledge,’ he points out. ‘They’ll have first-hand experience or be familiar with the information needs and information seeking behaviour of their own communities – or of international students, in the case of university libraries.’
‘With the current recruitment situation in libraries, having a wider pool of talent to recruit from makes good business sense,’ he concludes. ‘Diversity can help access new markets and improve a library’s image as an employer.’
This isn’t just wishful thinking; it’s backed up by survey results. Ayub Khan cites a study commissioned by the Cabinet Office and Barclays Bank, involving 140 leading private and public sector organizations. Published by equality, diversity and inclusion consultancy Schneider-Ross as long ago as 2002, The Business of Diversity revealed that 80% of the organizations polled saw a direct link between good diversity policies and improved performance.
Path National, the positive action training specialist tasked with managing Encompass, is well versed both in the issues and in ways of delivering results. ‘Path have been working for over 20 years to address the under-representation of BME groups in a variety of employment sectors with a great deal of success,’ says its head of recruitment James Chapman.
Encompass is one such project for Path National, addressing jointly the issues of diversity and skills gaps in the library & information sector.
‘Many employers recognise that matching their workforce to the local community is key to engagement but are not always sure of the best way to go about this, particularly if positions require specialised skills.’ James continues. ‘At Path we work with them to find solutions.’
‘Collectively we still have a long way to go to achieve a library workforce that truly represents the diversity of the communities in which libraries serve,’ adds MLA’s chief executive Roy Clare. ‘The Encompass initiative is a welcome contribution. It can only be sustained with employer support and as part of the cultural change to embed diversity in libraries through wider recruitment, better careers information and new entry routes.’
CILIP is currently writing to library & information employers, putting the case for participating in Encompass. The target is 100 traineeships over five years, and the campaign starts this month with a first year pilot covering employers in the London area.
It will also be inviting employers to special briefings about Encompass in late October and early November. These aren’t just to explain the scheme; they also give members of the steering committee an opportunity to listen to employers’ reactions, address any concerns, and consider how Encompass could be improved.
Guy Daines says: ‘We must be able to anticipate and challenge any objections to the scheme.’
‘Equality should be a key issue for everyone working in library and information services,’ Ayub Khan concludes. ‘It needs to cover the workforce as well as services to minority communities.’
Tim Buckley Owen is responsible for marketing the Encompass scheme to employers in London.