A research report on ‘Positive Action for Traveller Employment’ was launched today. The report was commissioned and published by the Equality Authority.
The research examines ten initiatives that created employment for thirty nine Travellers. It details how Traveller organisations supported the establishment of Traveller enterprises and how these organisations employed Travellers to provide services to their own community. It sets out initiatives taken by a Government department and a local authority to provide work experience and employment to Travellers. It describes a Traveller business established with the help of the Back to Work Enterprise Allowance.
Niall Crowley, Chief Executive Officer of the Equality Authority, speaking at the launch highlighted that “positive action is a feature of all these initiatives with Travellers being targeted for recruitment and with Traveller employees being given on the job training and mentoring supports. Positive action can be controversial but it is clear from these initiatives that it is necessary if we are to address the very low rate of Traveller participation in mainstream employment – a rate of just 13.8%. The Employment Equality Acts allow for wide ranging positive action to achieve full equality in practice for Travellers in the workplace. In these initiatives the NGO and statutory sectors have shown valuable creativity and leadership in this regard. We hope that this example can now be followed by other organisations in these sectors and in the private sector”.
Four key success factors can be identified in these ten positive action initiatives for Traveller employment. These are:-
- A commitment from senior management in the organisations involved to creating employment for Travellers
- A partnership between the organisations involved and local Traveller organisations in particular in the recruitment process and in supporting the retention of Traveller employees
- Initiatives to establish a work environment which is positive to diversity and equality, where staff are trained in this regard and where a focus on equality and diversity is embedded in workplace policies, procedures and practices
- Providing practical supports to Traveller employees to address the impact of labour market and educational disadvantage as necessary.
Niall Crowley highlighted “there is a value in these initiatives that includes but goes beyond the employment of Travellers. The employment of Travellers improved the provision of services to the Traveller community because of the knowledge and understanding that Traveller employees brought to the organisation. The Travellers employed were important role models within their own community. The initiatives built new and positive relationships between Travellers and settled people. It is for all these reasons that we need to see a new and wider commitment to positive action for Traveller employment”.
ENDS