Picture shows Humza Yousaf, Minister for Europe and International Development addressing the AFS employment Indaba
At the Employment Indaba and Entrepreneurship Bazaar on Friday 30 October in the presence of the Minister for Europe and International Development ‘Humza Yousaf and dignitaries including The Lord Provost of Glasgow, The Depute Lord Provost of Edinburgh, Police Scotland, decision making luminaries from Scotland’s Private Sector and a large gathering of the Scots African diaspora, AFS Special Adviser Ken Stewart and CEO Beltus Etchu, launched AFS’ innovative diaspora Employment Placement company called ACE Careers. The keynote speaker at the Event was Chair and CEO of Clintec International ‘Rabinder Buttar’ who delivered an inspiring resume of her career and gave encouragement to the aspiring entrepreneurs present while helping them focus on the characteristics needed to become successes, both as self-employed and as good and useful employees. Starting out from an emigrant Scots/Indian family in Glasgow, Rabinder now manages over 500 high quality employees in demanding graduate and executive situations as they identify new, innovative and pioneering clinical and pharmaceutical vaccines to address major world challenges such as HIV/Aids and Ebola. Clintec’s HQ at Finnieston in Glasgow now operates globally across almost 50 countries worldwide. Rabinder joined the Minister and the Provosts in handing out UNA Internship Certificates to AFS diaspora training course attendees.
ACE Careers will work with major Scots employers to help them improve their numbers of Scots African employees and support their Equal Opportunity employment commitments.
The Event was instigated by AFS in recognition of the fact that the percentage Scots ethnic diversity populace sits around 5-7% and yet the respective workforces of all organisations and corporate employers do not reflect similar percentages. The actual equal opportunity employment percentages within Scots’ organisations in most instances, falls far below the anticipated target levels. The shortfall is at best disappointing and at worst, often reflects badly on some employers. We believe that Ace Careers can help employers reach their intended Equal Opportunities employment level aspirations by helping them attain improved ethnic diversity employment levels within their workforce. Ace Careers have available, a constant and updated supply of talented, well mannered, intelligent Scots African employees who are coached by Ace Careers and properly prepared to fit each organisations/corporates employment requirements and their preferred business cultures. Ace Careers currently have a talent pool of almost 600 available candidates.
It was recognised during a constructive day of open and extremely useful exchanges of fact and opinion that employers throughout Scotland were fully committed to employing ethnic diversity candidates but that the actual engagement of diaspora candidates, regularly stalls during employers HR vetting or selection process. Employers recognised that this was unfortunate and a commitment was aired to working in future with AFS and the Scottish Government to rectify this discrepancy. It was further recognised that the stable of AFS candidates available for employment would be coached by AFS to improve their marketability including job application techniques and in delivering more confident interview skills when meeting prospective employers.
AFS are shortly to meet the Minister and address the Indaba findings and explore constructive solutions.