More black public servants are needed

Friday, December 14, 2007

A new mentoring scheme aimed at preparing high calibre black and minority ethnic staff for leadership roles in the Civil Service has been introduced.

Launched by Cabinet Secretary Sir Gus O'Donnell and minister for skills David Lammy, the 'Growing Talent' pilot is a high-level mentoring programme aimed at equipping talented black and minority ethnic staff with the skills and attributes they will need to become future candidates for the senior Civil Service.

Twelve successful applicants to the scheme have been paired with mentors from the senior Civil Service, all of whom are currently permanent secretaries or work at director-general level. It's claimed that participants will be given a broader perspective and deeper understanding of the Civil Service so that a pipeline of successful senior Civil Service candidates can be created. High-level mentoring is the core of the programme, but there will also be other events running throughout the next year to reinforce what participants have learned through the mentoring programme.

Sir Gus said: "In order to meet the challenges of a constantly changing society and an increasing diversity of public service users, the Civil Service needs to ensure it has the right workforce with the right skills. This includes having a workforce which reflects the community we serve. The 'Growing Talent' programme is an important step towards achieving a more diverse and professional Civil Service."