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Community full menu: European Unit
European Unit - EQUAL
The European Unit - Economic Development Service
January 2008
europe@kirklees.gov.uk
What is EQUAL?
Funded through the European Social Fund, EQUAL is part of the European Union's strategy to create more and better
quality jobs which everyone can access. It seeks to trial and promote new ways of encouraging diversity in the
workplace and to breakdown barriers experienced by people in work and those looking for work.
EQUAL funds activities carried out by strategic partnerships called Development Partnerships. Round 1 of EQUAL began
in 2001 and 76 Development Partnerships, including one based in Kirklees, were funded. Equal Round 2 started in 2004
with another 100 Development Partnerships.
Development partnerships plan, implement and evaluate their activities in three stages:
- Action 1 - Up to nine months is spent planning and developing activities and
strengthening the partnership.
- Action 2 - Approved activities are carried out.
- Action 3 - The programme is completed with partnerships working to disseminate and mainstream best
practice to interested parties.
EQUAL 1 and Kirklees
The Kirklees Common Ground Development Partnership was formed in October 2001 as part of the EQUAL Round 1 programme.
It brought together key organisations in Kirklees from the public sector, education and training organisations,
employers and the voluntary and community sector.
The partnership invested £3.1 million on activities in Kirklees, of which £1.56 million came from the European Social
Fund.
Common Ground worked with employers to challenge existing recruitment and selection practices and to breakdown
stereotyping and preconceptions. It promoted processes and structures which support diversity in the workplace, and
discouraged those which prevent socially excluded groups accessing local employment opportunities. It also implemented
a wide range of approaches which tackle inequality and discrimination in the Kirklees labour market.
In addition to local activities, Common Ground also worked with European partners from Denmark, Germany and the
Netherlands to form a transnational partnership 'Diverse Reflections'. This partnership shared expertise and best
practice which helped to develop new approaches to training and job creation and to influence European and National
Policy.
Key achievements
Nearly 900 individuals and 100 businesses benefited from Common Ground. 85 jobs were safeguarded and 58 individuals
gained employment.
The project developed innovative approaches including:
- an Asian Women's Network which assisted women into paid employment through a mentoring and empowerment
programme;
- a project which worked with actors, theatre directors, writers and costume designers on ways to include
performers with learning disabilities in commercial productions. Practical workshops also brought non-disabled and
learning disabled actors together to challenge perceptions and attitudes about learning disabilities;
- a series of fun and interactive workshops about diversity issues in Kirklees based around a specially
researched piece of theatre which challenged personal prejudices and allowed a greater understanding of the
importance of valuing and embracing diversity.
Common Ground also produced a number of user friendly products and toolkits which are available including:
- a Work-Life Balance Toolkit for small to medium sized businesses promoting and supporting the implementation
of family friendly policies.
- a 'soft outcomes' CD Rom which tracks the development of an individual between the start and end of their time
on an initiative - known as their distance travelled;
- an 'Equality at Work' standard for local businesses to accredit employers for their commitment to fair working
practices and equality and diversity principles.
EQUAL 2 and Kirklees
As a result of the success of Common Ground, the partnership is investing a further £4.25 million, of which
£2.127 million comes from the European Social Fund to develop additional activities and initiatives to address
inequality issues in the labour market.
The new partnership, Common Ground - Breaking New Ground, is one of only four DPs in Yorkshire and the Humber to
secure funding under the EQUAL Round 2 programme.
The funding runs from September 2004 until the end of December 2007. Common Ground - Breaking New Ground will build
on the work funded under Round 1 but will focus on working with small and medium sized businesses to develop ways to
help employers understand the social and economic arguments for equality and diversity and create better understanding
and co-operation between disadvantaged people seeking work and local employers. The project is led by Kirklees
Council with the involvement of a number of local partners from the public and private sectors, voluntary and
community organisations and other strategic bodies.
The key areas that the project will focus on are:
- Primary research into business motives leading to the creation of interactive tools to support diversity in
the workplace;
- Development of a GRADES measurement and benchmarking tool for employers on a number of diversity issues which
are Gender, Religion and Belief, Age, Disability, Ethnicity and Sexual orientation/Social inclusion;
- New ways of re-packaging and re-designing work;
- Creation of a Community Employment Agency.
Common Ground - Breaking New Ground will also work with partners in Austria, the Czech Republic and Sweden to look at
how barriers to employment can be removed by an employer. This Transnational Partnership is called Fair Ground.
Further information
For further information please contact the European Unit.
Tel: 01484 416708
Email: europe@kirklees.gov.uk
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