Expert Training by No Boundaries: Empowering Career Professionals Across Wales

We were delighted to be chosen by Careers Wales to deliver a project supporting career advisors and employability coaches - to enable them to provide more culturally sensitive and effective support for Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic girls and young women.

Careers Wales is an all age service for Wales, they provide support for young people in schools, particularly at key transition points in Year 10 and to all adults over the age of 16 who have left full-time education.

The aim of this training was for career advisors and employability coaches to have a better understanding of the lived experience of young women from ethnic minority backgrounds and the barriers that they face and the support that they need. This training explored the challenges and the key barriers faced externally - including the impact of racism and the experiences of microaggressions.

The training started off with understanding how race and gender intersect with other protected characteristics, identities and socioeconomic statuses. The themes being explored include implicit bias and the various forms of biases that impact our behaviour and decision making. We also explored language that was appropriate and inappropriate inside and outside the workplace, whilst also providing an understanding of institutional racism and systemic racism.

The importance of role models is discussed and we provide details of well-known female role models from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic backgrounds across Wales in senior positions including those working in careers of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).

The training included group discussions and real life scenarios being used as the stimulus for debate and discussion with ideas on how to respond to uncomfortable situations. The training has been delivered in Careers Wales regional offices and has also included business engagement officers.

We would like to thank Careers Wales for the opportunity to deliver this project.