Do you identify as a young Black male? Are you interested in discovering opportunities and careers in London, specifically within the Construction, Technology and Finance sectors?
The Mayor of London and Moving On Up invites you to join A Journey Towards Inclusion: Young, Black and Talented on Wednesday 28th September, a two-part event bringing together young Black men aged 16-24 and employers from London’s leading Construction, Technology and Finance companies. You are welcome to attend either one or both parts.
This event will be held at the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and is hosted by the Mayor of London and Moving On Up – a ground-breaking employment initiative for young Black men in London by Action for Race Equality.
It forms part of the Mayor of London’s Workforce Integration Network Programme, which is supporting young Black men aged 16 -24 years into living-wage employment in London.
It is kindly supported by DiverseCity Surveyors.
What’s in store?
As a young person, you’ll have the opportunity to:
- Find out about opportunities and pathways to the Construction, Technology and Finance sectors including apprenticeships, internships, secondments, coaching, mentoring, shadowing, webinars and more by speaking to employers.
- Understand how companies are making workplaces more inclusive and supportive spaces for young Black Londoners.
- Speak directly with employers and senior leaders to tell them what’s important to you.
- Meet and network with other young Black men building their careers in London.
Action for Race Equality will also be providing Amazon gift vouchers to compensate young people up to the age of 24 for their time and travel to the event.
Please contact Moving On Up’s Project Support Officer Victoria Atanda – victoria@actionforraceequality.org.uk for details.
Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors
12 Great George Street
London SW1P 3AD
You may also be an employer within Construction, Technology and Finance looking for ways to progress and embed equality, diversity and inclusion in your own organisation.
As an employer attending the event, you’ll:
- Learn how your company can contribute to addressing and overcoming structural barriers in the workplace to improve your hiring and retention of young Black men.
- Get the chance to make a positive difference to the lives of young Black men by committing to taking positive action.
Event outline
This event will have two distinct but connecting segments. Although Part 1 is intended more for employers, young people are welcome to sign up to attend both parts if they wish.
Arrival and registration: 3pm
Part 1 (3.30pm – 4.30pm):
- A spoken word poetry recital by Giovanni Rose (TBC)
- A speech by Dr Debbie Weekes-Bernard, Deputy Mayor for Communities and Social Justice
- A panel discussion and audience Q&A with employers from the Construction and Technology sectors. The discussion will cover diverse and inclusive employment practices, the journey for employers towards inclusion, and the actions that are needed today to create a better future and a fairer city for young Black men. The session will be co-chaired by a young Black man (Moving on Up Ambassador) and Bola Abisogun OBE (Urbanis). Further information on guest speakers can be found below.
- Stories and insights from young Black men and 10,000 Black Interns (TBC)
Part 2 (4.30pm – 6.30pm):
- A video message from Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London (TBC)
- ‘Breaking Bread’ session: small group roundtable sessions – with cakes! These will provide spaces for young Black men to meet and speak directly with potential employers and provide insights to the challenges and issues facing young Black men entering and progressing in the industries.
- Followed by an opportunity for 121 networking with employers and providers, who will be promoting live opportunities such as apprenticeships, internships, coaching and mentoring.
Guest speakers include:
- Dr Debbie Weekes-Bernard, Deputy Mayor for Communities and Social Justice
- Kevin Ronan, Chief Operating Officer at Profusion
- Jeremy Crook OBE, Chief Executive of Action for Race Equality
- Rebecca Scott, Global Talent Resourcing Program Management at Jacobs
- Arthur Ntale, Investment Analyst at Veritas Investment (TBC)
- Cameron Aitcheson-Labarr, Moving On Up Ambassador
- Sayid Shaif, Moving On Up Ambassador
- Bola Abisogun OBE, Urbanis
Employers and providers such as Jacobs Partnerships, Cloudreach, Profusion Media and more will also be present.
Further details:
The Greater London Authority will also be sharing insights from research on the Mayor of London’s innovative Inclusive Employers toolkit designed in partnership with Moving On Up to increase the recruitment, retention and progression of young Black men. The research will be published shortly after the event.
On display will be a visual exhibition showcasing the parallel journeys of employers towards building inclusive practices, and the experiences and individual stories of young Black men.