Section head
Case Study: Training and Development - Regional Enterprise Developers
Women making a difference
This is a community-based project to help build women’s confidence and capacity to influence decision makers and to become decision makers themselves at all levels. It also aims to encourage a region-wide perspective and identity by brining together women from across the North East.
The course objectives are:
- Understanding of decision-making processes
- Understanding of barriers to equality
- Skills to put together and make their case
- Lobbying and campaigning skills
- Skills to think strategically
- Confidence to take their case forward
Over 300 women have attended the course during the past 4 years, 40 in the past year. Two women have become local Councillors while another is pursuing becoming an ethnic minority MP. Other women have had the confidence to approach their employers about promotion, one successfully. Some of the women progressed onto the New Beginnings training (see other case study).
Regional Enterprise Developers recently set up an ethnical, profit-sharing recruitment agency, New Beginnings E-quality Personnel, specialising in diversity and equality in the workplace. Since the launch in January 2007 over 200 people have registered with the agency, several being successfully placed in full-time and part-time employment with local companies.
RED have increased their own staffing by 150%, including two young people on apprenticeship and placement schemes and two older women who job-share administrative duties.
Contact Point
