BUSINESS MANAGER WINS EQUALITY AND DIVERSITY AWARD

7th July 2006

A West Midlands based business development manager has received an award for her commitment to equality and diversity. Marie Firth, who is employed by TBG Learning, an independent training company, received her award from b:RAP (Birmingham Race Action Partnership). b:RAP works directly with organisations such as TBG Learning across Birmingham, advising on progressive ways to improve equality practice.

Marie Firth, who received her award at the b:RAP annual conference, improved TBG Learning’s equality practice after winning a Diversity Innovation Grant from the Learning and Skills Council (LSC). TBG Learning runs Apprenticeship and Train to Gain programmes in the workplace for a wide number of West Midlands companies, with training funded by the LSC.

“TBG Learning have been open and willing to try new ways of improving their approach to equality and diversity, which is a real measure of their success. Marie has led this project and has recognised that a good quality experience for employers and trainees needs to encompass an equality experience”, said Sarah Davies, Director of Policy & Performance, b:RAP.

Marie’s equality project included improving marketing leaflets and carrying out a targeted geographical campaign which ensured employers and employees from Black Ethnic Minority (BME) communities were reached. She also had an active part in TBG Learning’s Equality and Diversity task group which ensures some 300 TBG Learning employees across the country are abreast of current legislation and good employment practices.

TBG Learning has a proven track record in attracting and engaging people in learning who would otherwise simply miss out, such as Black Ethnic Minority (BME) communities, people with disabilities and young offenders. Many of the employees on its programmes start with few or no qualifications and poor basic skills and have a fear of learning from past experiences.

As well as its workplace training programmes TBG Learning runs a centre at 145 Great Charles Street, Birmingham where both unemployed and employed can undertake training in areas such as business administration, information communication technology, literacy, numeracy and English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL). The centre is also an accredited Life in the UK citizenship test centre. Telephone 0121 2002646 or see www.tbglearning.com

For information about b:RAP see www.brap.org.uk .