A significant number of people working within the equality and diversity aspect of HR feel that they have insufficient training to do their jobs, according to a new report.
The findings are a result of new research from the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) that aimed to increase understanding of the equality and diversity field, looking at the work of individuals, types of organisation involved and the ways in which problems that arise are dealt with throughout the UK.
Research indicated that training within the sector is largely unstructured, focussing on a mix of formal and informal methods that include workshops and downloading information from the internet
The LSC’s chairman, Chris Banks, emphasised his commitment to making sure that HR staff have the relevant tools and support to do their jobs properly, and acknowledged that many working within equality and diversity are keen to have the industry perceived as “more professional and credible.”
Banks went on to recommend that the creation of a new association for HR professionals would help to target these problems.
“Currently there is no clear career path for practitioners in this field and creating an association would be an excellent way of standardising their professional development and supporting our drive to deliver better quality of opportunity for everyone,” he stated.
The next phase following the report will be to create a model for the association and test it with practitioners.
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