As well as providing educational opportunities, Higher Education Institutions are also large scale employers. In carrying out their responsibilities as employers, these institutions should look at positive action measures that would increase the presence of members of minority ethnic groups on the staff of Higher Education Institutions.
In this paper, I will be drawing on my experience of working with Travellers, but I hope that what I say will also be applicable to members of other minority ethnic groups.
Travellers and Traveller organisations recognise that having an independent economic base is essential for Traveller self determination. In looking at how Travellers might strengthen their economic base, Traveller organisations have identified opportunities through the following areas:
I want, in this paper, to look at how this model of employment opportunities for Travellers might apply to Higher Education Institutions.
Many people are employed in providing services to the Traveller community. This includes health workers, educators, community and youth workers, caretakers and advice workers. Travellers with appropriate education and training or by using an `apprenticeship' approach can be employed in the delivery of these services. This has already been widely demonstrated in the community and youth work arena and more recently has been piloted by the employment of Travellers as health care workers.
It seems to me that there should be additional employment opportunities for young people from minority ethnic communities in the support services that are available to students in Higher Education Institutions. This applies to either support structures that already exist or to the creation of new support structures. This involves a commitment to peer support and a recognition of the diversity of the student population. It may also be part of a strategy to increase the participation of members from minority ethnic communities in Higher Education Institutions.
The mainstream labour market also offers employment possibilities for Travellers. This increasingly becomes a reality as Travellers choose to take up training and educational opportunities. It is to be hoped that Travellers who choose this type of employment do not do so at the price of giving up their own identity. There is no necessary incompatibility between maintaining your Traveller identity and taking up regular fixed hours employment.
There are mainstream labour market employment opportunities for members of minority ethnic communities in Higher Education Institutions. It is important that the visibility of minority ethnic communities in the student population is reflected also in the staff of the institutions.
This could apply to the academic staff. For this to happen, it would need to be linked to increased opportunities for members of minority ethnic communities to participate as students at third level. It would also require a more flexible approach to the recognition of qualifications received outside of this country in order to put qualified persons from abroad, who are resident here, on an equal footing with other applicants.
There are also opportunities in relation to auxiliary teaching staff who may be brought in to enhance the course teaching in particular areas. Members of minority ethnic communities will, in some instances, have the necessary knowledge to be the guest staff. This would require a commitment to involving members of minority ethnic communities in peer led education. Links with organisations representing the interests of ethnic minorities is important in organising the involvement of people in this peer led education. This development should enhance the work already undertaken by these organisations and be part of a development that would recognise the partnership needed between the expertise developed both outside and inside the third level institutions.
There may also be opportunities in auxiliary services which could provide employment for members of minority ethnic communities. These could include technical, secretarial, and services posts. These posts should be advertised in such a way that members from minority ethnic communities might see and be encouraged to apply for the positions.
The increasing practice of contracting out auxiliary services work, in areas such as ground work, catering, repairs and maintenance, offers self-employment opportunities for members of minority ethnic communities. The features of some of this type of work fit well with traditional work practices within the Traveller community. These features, which have emerged from discussion on the nature of the Traveller economy include self-employment, income generating (as distinct from fixed jobs) and flexibility. Higher Education Institutions should target the way these contracts are advertised so that Travellers and others might be encouraged and have the opportunity to secure these contracts.
Many geographical communities and some minority ethnic communities are living with very little access to disposable incomes. This makes it very difficult to provide services in these areas at commercial rates. Developing economic activity in these areas is essential to the overall well-being of the people living in the areas. Building what might be called a `social economy' in these areas might involve the introduction of subsidised services in these areas.
Much discussion and understanding of this concept of a `social economy' has been developed through organisations in the community and voluntary sector. This issue of building a `social economy' needs to be given attention in the work of Higher Education Institutions and the development of thinking in this area needs to be carried out in partnership with organisations from within these communities who have already developed expertise in this area.
I have used this model of employment opportunities to illustrate some of the strategies which could be used by third level institutions to open up possibilities for employment of members of minority ethnic groups in a range of work in these institutions. Their success will depend on the willingness of these institutions to make a serious commitment to ensuring a greater diversity in the staff employed by the colleges.