In response to the letter by Craig Dicken regarding Trevor Phillips’ proposal to urge the government to change the equality laws (Personnel Today, 9 January), although I agree with some of the points raised – that employers should hire the best candidate for the job based on their skills, experience and ability, and that laws are in place to ensure everyone has the same employment opportunities – in reality this does not always happen.
I believe there is under-representation in certain professions from ethnic minority groups. But instead of changing laws to address these areas of under-representation, I think the government should work in partnership with bodies such as the Commission for Equality and Human Rights to look at the underlying issues and then devise and implement a strategy to tackle them.
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I strongly believe that the government should be making it more accessible and financially feasible for young people from any background to continue with further education instead of charging outrageous tuition fees and offering grants, which only means you are in huge amounts of debt before you even begin to forge a career. I know, as I’m an example of this, having completed my BA, MA and CIPD qualification – and also happen to be from a black/British ethnic background.
Sharon Stoby, HR professional
