How Core3 passionately support Babbasa’s work with young people in our ethnically diverse inner cities.
Diverse organisations make for successful organisations, and businesses have a social responsibility to ensure they are inclusive and foster diversity. There is still so much to be done in the world of finance – a 2021 survey by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA), found that nearly 90 per cent of its members were of white ethnicity. “All the research points to there being significant inequality and lack of opportunity for people from lower socio-economic and black and minority ethnic groups,” it said.
To ensure diversity in the workplace, an organisation needs to start from the beginning – i.e. recruitment. As accountancy recruitment specialists, we have partnered with Babbasa, an amazing organisation based in Bristol, who are making a difference to its under-represented people.
Babbasa was formed in 2010 by four young graduates who had observed rising levels of youth unemployment and educational underachievement, along with a rapid decline in the youth aspirations of Bristol’s ethnically diverse, inner-city communities. The group named the organisation Babbasa because the word represents the idea of ordinary citizens coming together to support members of their society in need.
Babbasa’s founders shared two strong beliefs:
- Young people’s aspirations and opportunities should not be determined by their background
- Every young person has a unique skill or talent which, if explored and nurtured, can advance humanity in a significant way.
At Core3, we wholeheartedly agree with these beliefs, and we recognise that to create a more diverse workforce in the finance sector, there must be an intentional accountancy recruitment strategy which is both visible and accessible.
Even with all the best ideas in the world, designing a strategy that ticks all the boxes for accessibility is pointless if it’s not visible to the people you’re trying to give access to. Nobody can take a step up on an invisible ladder except by pure fluke, and at Core3 we don’t work in a world of chance, accidents, flukes and the like. We believe in intentionality and doing everything with purpose, on purpose.
Babbasa are on the same page, and they provide a hub in Bristol’s inner-city for young people from lower socio-economic, and minority ethnic groups to gather to.
Their vision is:
‘To create a world where all young people feel able and empowered to realise their ambitions. But we can’t do it alone. That’s why we work with Bristol employers, education providers and enterprise investors to overcome biases and create inclusive environments for young people to thrive.’To empower these young people, Babbasa offers the following services:
Youth Empowerment
For young people aged 13 -25, Babbasa promises to improve well-being, teach new skills, empower them to make a difference and provide help to start each person’s dream career with the following programmes:
Get Confident – support programme
Helping young people overcome obstacles they’re facing at school or with finding work. Helping with challenges they might be facing because of their background, or health condition.
Get Ready – challenge programme
Equipping young people to make a difference as a Youth Ambassador in their community, while growing the confidence and skills to realise their full potential.
Get Started – placement programme
For those who feel they are ready to start their dream job. This programme helps young people to build their professional networks, get support with their CVs and applications, and get connected with new jobs and opportunities.
Get Advice – mentoring programme
This programme exists to connect young people with someone from their dream sector. Building their professional networks and connecting them to a relevant professional mentor from Babbasa’s pool of Equal Opportunity Ambassadors.
Get Inspired – business/enterprise support
For young people who are interested in starting their own business. This programme enables them to access business support, mentoring and networking events; it also provides access to office space through the Bright Ideas programme.
Recruitment Services
Babbasa helps businesses connect with the ambitious and talented young people they are looking to find. They help source and retain a diverse team through recruitment, promotion, and onboarding support.
Whether someone is a young person looking for work experience, a temporary work placement, an internship or even a permanent career opportunity; or someone is an employer looking to diversify their organisation and address under-representation in their workplace, Babbasa Recruitment & Inclusion Services (BRIS) is there to help.
BRIS offer a range of recruitment services to help employers access and hire young people from the communities they serve, oftentimes, young people who can be hard to reach through traditional attraction methods. Their services range from vacancy promotion to support in finding young people for placements and internships, to a full end-to-end recruitment service for permanent hires. They also offer expert advice on how to optimise a company’s attraction, selection and onboarding processes to ensure fairness and inclusion.
Workplace Inclusion
For businesses looking to build a more inclusive work environment, Babbasa’s research, advice, and training give them the tools they need to provide a fair and motivating workplace. They offer bespoke services tailored to a business’s needs, and these services broadly fall into three main categories:
Inclusion Needs Analysis
Using a self-review tool, businesses can gain a better insight into their diversity and inclusion needs, assisting them in getting to the outcomes they desire.
Advisory Support Babbasa provides a Diversity and inclusion consultant who reviews and assists businesses in developing strategies, projects and policies designed to enhance their workplace inclusion.
Cultural Competency Training
This is a safe and non-judgmental space where teams can:
- Recognise both personal and institutional bias.
- Attract and retain diverse employees through exploring more inclusive HR practices.
- Gain a better understanding of young and minoritised communities.
- Develop the intercultural communication skills needed to develop an inclusive environment.
A diverse workforce isn’t just a corporate checkbox; it’s a business necessity. In the world of accountancy recruitment, we need to get out of our comfort zone and seek organisations such as Babbasa. Stepping outside to see what the city looks, feels, smells, and tastes like is a priceless exercise that will only serve to make businesses better.
Discover more of our stories at: core3.co.uk/finance-recruitment-company/
