Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+

Personnel Today

Register
Log in
Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+

Equality, diversity and inclusionLatest News

Diversity association plan branded a ‘waste of money’

by Louisa Peacock 20 Mar 2008
by Louisa Peacock 20 Mar 2008

Exclusive

The government project that recommended setting up a new diversity association may have been a “waste of money”, leading practitioners have warned.

In December 2007 the Learning and Skills Council published the final results of its two-year study on industry standards and career paths for diversity practitioners.

In revealed that 80% of 1,500 equality and diversity experts had told the LSC they would like a new body, leading the government agency to launch a 96-page business case on how this could be funded and implemented.

The project cost £230,000, but nearly four months since the LSC’s final report, not one organisation has stepped forward publicly to set up a new body.

The Employers Forum on Age said that unless a new body was actually set up, or a tangible outcome had been achieved from the report the programme money would have been wasted.

Director Rachel Krys told Personnel Today: “Let’s hope we can find an achievable outcome from [the LSC] report. If it stops there, it would feel like a lot of money spent – a waste of money and a crying shame.”

Krys added: “The diversity environment has changed in [the past] two years. The money would have been better spent doing less research, and more working out what networks are already there and forming a coalition between them.”

CIPD diversity adviser Dianah Worman said: “A new diversity body would marginalise the issue. I am not totally surprised this project appears to be falling by the wayside.”

The Equalities and Human Rights Commission, established last April to promote equality, also warned it had no remit to establish or regulate a new diversity body, despite its chairman, and UK diversity tsar, Trevor Phillips original giving the concept his firm backing.

But an LSC spokeswoman said its final report could be “used by anyone” to set up a new body.

“Any other future developments will be determined by the interested consultancy or any other organisation that decides to develop this framework further.”

The spokeswoman added: “The foundations are in place and sufficient interest and willingness has been generated for another group or organisation to take responsibility for creating an association in the future.”

Sign up to our weekly round-up of HR news and guidance

Receive the Personnel Today Direct e-newsletter every Wednesday

OptOut
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

An association management consultancy, Kingston Smith, working on behalf of the LSC, has written to “interested parties” including the government and individual chambers of commerce asking if they would like to participate in setting up a steering group to take the business case to the next stage, and help create a new body.

Earlier this week Personnel Today revealed the LSC will close down by 2010.




Louisa Peacock

previous post
Cabbies suspended after refusing to take health and safety training
next post
M&S appoints new HR chief

You may also like

Unions ponder strike action after public sector pay...

23 May 2025

Six ways to kickstart conversations about team stress...

23 May 2025

Fire and rehire: the relocation question

22 May 2025

Public sector workers gain pay rises of up...

22 May 2025

UK net migration slashed by half in one...

22 May 2025

How neuroscience can unlock employee recognition

22 May 2025

UK universities fret over fall in international students

22 May 2025

HSBC employees warned of office attendance link to...

22 May 2025

The Law Society: Navigating the new world of...

22 May 2025

Deloitte scales back salary rises and promotions

22 May 2025

  • 2025 Employee Communications Report PROMOTED | HR and leadership...Read more
  • The Majority of Employees Have Their Eyes on Their Next Move PROMOTED | A staggering 65%...Read more
  • Prioritising performance management: Strategies for success (webinar) WEBINAR | In today’s fast-paced...Read more
  • Self-Leadership: The Key to Successful Organisations PROMOTED | Eletive is helping businesses...Read more
  • Retaining Female Talent: Four Ways to Reduce Workplace Drop Out PROMOTED | International Women’s Day...Read more

Personnel Today Jobs
 

Search Jobs

PERSONNEL TODAY

About us
Contact us
Browse all HR topics
Email newsletters
Content feeds
Cookies policy
Privacy policy
Terms and conditions

JOBS

Personnel Today Jobs
Post a job
Why advertise with us?

EVENTS & PRODUCTS

The Personnel Today Awards
The RAD Awards
Employee Benefits
Forum for Expatriate Management
OHW+
Whatmedia

ADVERTISING & PR

Advertising opportunities
Features list 2025

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin


© 2011 - 2025 DVV Media International Ltd

Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+