To Think that Grad & Apprenticeships are now only for Diversity Candidates

[reallyreallycrazy]

Slight hyperbole but not far off.

Yes, of course I suppose my DS should be appreciative of his 'white privilege' (I do detest the term though), but he's been applying to over 100 x spring & summer internships and apprenticeships.

Invariably, he finds that lots of programmes are only open to black/female/social mobility/ND candidates. In one recent case - a global consultancy - there were NO openings for anyone outside of these categories.

And today, on LinkedIn, he forwarded me several links from leading banks reaching out about apprenticeships etc. In most photos, you might be lucky to spot 1-2 white males and in the video of one, there were not a single white male (or female for that matter).

I get that these firms need to do outreach to disadvantaged groups but if you look at the population level percentage of the various group categories, this really has swung too far the other way.

I get that many of these organisations have years to catch up with diversity hires but to try to rebalance in such an aggressive way and in a short space of time, makes it very difficult for young, white males (unless they have qualified for 'free school meals') to get a foot in the door which is especially tough in an incredibly tough grad market as it is.

Criticism from who?

Your white, middle class son does not (statistically and almost certainly in practice) need the sort of step up to employment that internships can provide.

It’s also possible that big corporates are finally realising that most of their problems over the years have been caused by their white, middle class male employees and they would now like to employ slightly fewer of them.

The uk and as someone else said it’s for optics a company can make itself look good by having a diverse workforce.
@Bambamhoohoo it’s not bullshit just my experience I’m not claiming to have a brilliant job either it’s just an ok job considering I was a secondary school drop out with no work experience. It could just be a coincidence for sure I’m just saying my experience I said I was bisexual and mixed race and finally got a job.

I see no point in being honest on forms that ask such questions unless it’s medical related, having a “diverse workforce” is seen as a good thing so it can only be a positive to be as “diverse” a person as possible

So. You live in a small town in the UK and were unable to get a job, because all of the employers had introduced diversity quotas to 'look good' to the homogeneous community of the small town? Who have somehow despite not 'being very diverse', inexplicably decided that giving jobs to unqualified POC and people who aren't heterosexual is more important than complying with the EA? I'm...surprised. To say the least.

@5128gap Journalists for starters. Charities like the Sutton Trust. Minorities groups. Any group commenting and researching into social mobility. University researchers. Government researchers. Anyone with a voice that doesn’t like the status quo! Loads of people look into employment trends and social mobility!

I said I was struggling to get a job because I had no qualifications or previous work experience because I was a teen mum who dropped out of secondary school. Then I said I was bisexual and mixed race on an application and finally got a job could just be a coincidence for sure but I’m just telling you what happened.

And it’s a large national company I work for.

There is no problem. DH and I are Indian. My DH has had a successful corporate career in the UK. Works very hard, works long hours and makes around £130k in a big 4 organisation.

My DC gave succeeded in their studies and been to top unis. One of them succeeded in getting a very competitive research position at their university.

We've experienced occasional racist hate by unscrupulous people but never found the whole of society holding us back. The data actually shows us British Indians having higher GCSEs and higher earning than the white British.

You got a job that required experience and qualifications, despite not having them? Or you got an entry level job that didn't require them with an employer who valued the life experience of raising a child as a teen, with the maturity and resilience that may imply, over academic qualifications? If you're determined to see this as 'diversity gone mad!!!' I can't stop you. But you may well be selling yourself short and it was more likely the potential they saw in you as a person that got you the job.

Your white, middle class son does not (statistically and almost certainly in practice) need the sort of step up to employment that internships can provide.
It’s also possible that big corporates are finally realising that most of their problems over the years have been caused by their white, middle class male employees and they would now like to employ slightly fewer of them.

Surely this has the potential for ageism though - yes the office might be full of middle aged white blokes who are vastly overrepresented, but why should new grads pay the price.

The good ones won't. Because contrary to the hyperbole, these schemes don't close the door to employment for white males, they just increase the competition by giving other people an opportunity to be part of it. White males with the most to offer will still be selected into jobs. All that will happen is the weaker amongst them, who would have scraped in for want of more competition, will fall off the end. This should have the positive affect in future of reducing the number of mediocre middle aged white men occupying positions they are not that great at. Of whom there are many.

An entry level job but you’ll be surprised how hard it is to get such jobs if you have no previous work experience. I did not tell I had a child until after I got the job tbh i didn’t need them thinking “she’ll always be calling in sick when her child is ill”.

When it comes to being inclusive ethnicity and sexuality are easy tick boxes for employers.

I remember attending a panel once. Where this women who has a successful career in finance was totally wanting to scrap DEI. Saying it doesn't matter. Saying one of her best performing stocks has a board that's 100% women. Should they be mandated to make the board 50/50 men/women?

There was some scheme recently that you were asked if parents received benefits when you were 14.

What is to stop applicants lying about this? Do those hiring have any means of checking?

What kind of a shite bag to you have to be though, to claim to be WC when your parents were doctors, or tick the ‘Traveller’ box in a form or claim to be gay when you aren’t?

Many of the questions are for stats purposes and the hiring team for even see them but if you’re the kind of twat who would say you fit diversity categories when you don’t to get an interview for a role recruiting for under represented groups then be prepared to keep that lie up for your career at that company if you get hired.

A board rhats 💯 women? Was it a company of 10 employees where the 5 board members started it?
IF that company is a large one with a large number of employees then yes, they probably should think about getting a male board member. But we all know that’s not the case. Don’t we.
I swear, we women are our own worst enemy sometimes. Demanding women be the best, brightest, exceptional before they even get a look in whereas we happily accept mediocre blokes running things all the fucking time.

Sorry Should I of just stayed unemployed forever 😂
it’s not fair to lie but it’s also not fair employers discriminate even if it is “positive discrimination”

I wasn’t talking about your fairy story, love.

This woman works in asset management and she said one of her best performing shares has a board that's 100% women. In the eyes of DEI it should be half men half women.

“claim to be gay when you’re not” who else are you talking about if not me ?
Why should anyone miss out on an opportunity just because they don’t fit any of your holy marginalised groups.
And stay unemployed so you can shit talk “lazy British people we need more immigration because brits are too lazy” etc etc 🙄

@5128gap I’m not sure there’s much evidence to say that degree holders who are white and middle aged are not good employees though. It’s seen as ok to have a go at them but many companies are well run. In many cases these men are embracing a broader spectrum of people in the workforce. It’s certainly not proven that minorities, deprived people or women would do better. They might do exactly the same! Talent should be recruited fairly and let’s see who gets to the top.

I wonder if she was telling the truth though? A quick google shows there are no plcs with all female boards. In fact, AI adds this little titbit which says it all 😂

“No, there are no Public Limited Companies (PLCs) with all-female boards, but the number of companies with at least one woman on their board is increasing significantly”

and what does “best performing shares” even mean? No company consistently performs “best”. Unless her portfolio was extremely niche surely your best performing shares are logically the shells, AstraZeneca, HSBCs etcs. Which certainly don’t have all female boards 😭

more likely to be a self hating cool wife who wants to end DEI to pull the laser up behind her?

Maybe it's a foreign stock? People do invest globally you know. People do invest in America and elsewhere.

One of her best performing - I was paraphrasing what she said. She meant the company is doing well and owning the stock is providing good financial return. She's not self hating, she had a successful career in finance on merit.

There’s shares in all sorts of world wide funds. Might be in the USA for all we know and not ftse at all.

Yes that would be convenient 🤨 convenient that she doesn’t support DEI because this one female led listed company happen to perform so exceptionally well. And she’s also dumb enough to think that would happen naturally without DEI?

“Everyone who disagrees with me must be lying”