Business in the Community

In #Brent, six in 10 ethnically diverse young people have never been informed about employment support during their education. With three in 10 ethnically diverse young people who are not in education, employment, or training seeing racial discrimination as their biggest barrier to work, it’s up to employers to give young people the work experience and opportunities they need to achieve their full potential. To highlight the importance of early interventions in improving social mobility, we brought in C-suite business leaders, in partnership with Youth Futures Foundation and under the leadership of Richard Iferenta, Partner and Vice President of KPMG UK, to Brent as part of our #SeeingIsBelieving programme, supported by Salesforce and Linklaters. Business leaders visited Newman Catholic College and Young Brent Foundation. They had the opportunity to speak to those who have experienced barriers leading to low #SocialMobility and heard about the importance of business interventions and partnerships in supporting education providers and community organisations to continue the important work that they do. Find out more about the visit here: https://lnkd.in/eGA6m3w9 Pool Re, VVB Engineering, Verizon Connect UK & Ireland, SNG (Sovereign Network Group), bp, Grant Thornton UK LLP, JCDecaux, Pertemps Network Group, Tesco, Worldline UK&I, Royal Mail, Costain Group PLC. Barry Fletcher / Mary Macleod

🎙️In the latest episode of #TheLensPodcast, host Sarah Travers welcomes Andrew Masraf, Senior Partner at multinational law firm Pinsent Masons, and One Young World ambassador Kagisho Masae, Co-Founder and CEO of Matriclive – an innovative education app revolutionising student learning. 💡Together, they delve into the crucial topic of #SocialMobility, examining how businesses can create fair and equitable opportunities for a wider range of individuals. Tune in to this thought-provoking discussion wherever you get your podcasts: https://lnkd.in/eRzz74tN #ResponsibleBusiness #podcast

Climate action is no longer optional - it's imperative. As COP29 Azerbaijan unfolds, we're here on the ground, gathering diverse insights from businesses, policymakers and climate activists from across the world to ensure that when we return, we can challenge and support our members in making “just” a core part of their climate strategies. Finance will be a major theme of this year's discussions, which are an opportunity to raise the ambition of creating a just transition to net zero. We’re committed to bringing these perspectives back to help our members. Ready to get started? Download our ‘Seven Steps to Climate Action’ toolkit and join us in creating a just, resilient, #NetZero future for all: https://lnkd.in/eWUX6eNh #ResponsibleBusiness #ClimateChange #ClimateAction #COP29

We're delighted to welcome Pete Westall, Chief Values Officer at The Midcounties Co-operative as Chair of the West Midlands Regional Board. Pete will lead the Board in tackling diversity and inclusion as well as inequality and unemployment across the region; focusing on the role of businesses in supporting the skills development of those facing barriers to work and fostering inclusive recruitment practices within businesses. 🗣️ Speaking about his appointment, Pete said; "I’m pleased and honoured to have been appointed Chair of the Business in the Community West Midlands Leadership Board. "The organisation I work for, The Midcounties Co-operative, has been a proud member of Business in the Community for many years and shares its ethos of the role of business as a force for good in supporting the communities where we all live, work and trade. "I know I join all my fellow Board members in thanking Richard Eadie, the outgoing Chair, for his exemplary leadership of the West Midlands Leadership Board – and hope my tenure helps build on that work. “Our focus on supporting and encouraging member businesses in the region to improve employment skills and employability options for the more vulnerable members of society; to foster equity, diversity & inclusion & effectively drive climate action will continue to be at the forefront of everything we do. “All involved should be proud of the impact businesses in the West Midlands have made in these areas, but there is still so much more to do – and together, through BITC, we can all play our part.” Learn more about our West Midlands Leadership Board: https://lnkd.in/eCChVf9T

🌍 Did you know that nearly a quarter of CEOs now view #biodiversity as the emerging focus in #ESG, according to our latest report, "Lifting up the UK: State of the Nation 2024"? While building resilience to environmental challenges is crucial, it can often seem daunting. 💡That's why we've created a free factsheet to help demystify nature and biodiversity concepts and their impact on organisational resilience. Download our factsheet today to: ✅ Master key definitions for nature-related terms ✅ Explore real-world examples of how weakened biodiversity affects business resilience ✅ Kickstart your organisation's nature stewardship strategy Empower your business with essential knowledge. Download the factsheet today: https://lnkd.in/eyCpNbFi

This #LifelongLearningWeek, our Employment & Skills Officer, Farhath Choudhury, highlights the importance of #upskilling in today’s evolving work environment. As businesses face challenges like the shift to a #NetZero future and the rise of #AI, investing in employee skills from all socio-economic backgrounds is essential for growth and prosperity. Read the full blog to discover how we can support your upskilling initiatives: https://lnkd.in/ejd5xsM7 #LifelongLearning #EssentialSkills #GreenSkills

The rising cost of living has severely impacted many in the UK, with Black, Asian, Mixed Race, and other ethnically diverse employees disproportionately affected, highlighting the urgent need to address workplace inequality. In her latest blog, our Race Director Sandra Kerr calls on employers to take action now by ensuring fair pay and equal opportunities for all. https://lnkd.in/e-t-H5Qy By committing to the real #LivingWage and providing Living Hours, businesses can make significant strides towards closing the ethnicity pay gap. This #NationalLivingWageWeek, discover how you can contribute to creating a more equitable workplace for everyone. #LivingWageWeek #RaceAtWork

📺 Our Job Coaching programme truly changes lives. We train volunteers from UK businesses as employment coaches, offering one-to-one support to jobseekers. In this video, Sam Pennington, a corporate lawyer at Lewis Silkin, shares his experience helping William, a former public sector leader. After facing job rejections, William sought assistance to rebuild his confidence, and Sam found the experience both enriching and impactful. Discover the life-changing impact of our Job Coaching programme and learn how your business can get involved: https://lnkd.in/ederX52c #JobCoaching #wellbeing #ResponsibleBusiness

👂 Psst. Don’t miss out on our forthcoming #ResponsibleBusiness events, all designed to enable you to gain valuable industry insights, hear from expert speakers, and network with peers while sharing ideas. In our upcoming events, we’ll explore essential topics such as #ClimateAction, #AI, and #wellbeing. 📅 Check out our events schedule to learn about these and more: https://lnkd.in/exnWc6H2

Reacting to the #AutumnBudget announced today, our Chief Executive Mary Macleod said; "While there is much to unpack from the government’s first budget, I welcome the Chancellor’s announcements today on increasing the National Minimum Wage, supporting people with the cost of living and investing in projects to help people into work. Currently, nearly 2 million people in the UK are economically inactive but want a job, so it is important to support these individuals back into employment." 💼 Read the full #statement on our website: https://lnkd.in/eEFutq-z #Budget #news #ResponsibleBusiness