The BBC is to launch its biggest drive to fill more top positions with ethnic minority and disabled staff, Personnel Today understands.
In an internal article to employees, Steve Kelly, director of BBC people, said the BBC would undertake an "ambitious project with £750,000 of new money," to make up a current shortfall of ethnic minority and disabled staff at senior management level.
The BBC said it will implement 'positive action' over the next three years, which will see 90 existing employees join a mentoring and development programme covering jobs in radio and TV production, commissioning and scheduling, IT, interactive, marketing, broadcast news, rights and business affairs.
Candidates will undertake a mentoring programme, spread over a year, including monthly coaching sessions with mentors, who will be matched to applicants.
Kelly said: "We are not going to see tangible benefits for two to three years, but I'm confident that we'll be in a stronger position as a result. In the past the BBC has spread its efforts too thinly and probably not stuck with initiatives for long enough.
"This is a long-term commitment and success will be measured in terms of career progression – whether people actually get jobs," he said.