Openingdoors blog
As a young person who is passionate about the work that is conducted in development, it did not come as a surprise to anybody when I decided to pursue my passion and try to find a job in the development sector. However, I encountered some difficulties when I was trying to find a job in the sector; this led me to volunteer with a local charity. Even after volunteering I still did not feel like I had all the experience I needed. I decided to go back to university and enrol onto a master’s programme. Even though I have all this experience and the education I sometimes feel like I do not have the necessary experience to enter the sector. This is not an uncommon story for young people who want to work in the sector. The difficulty in entering the development stops many young people from entering the development.
As a person of colour I know trying to get into the sector is harder as the number of ethnic minority people working in the development sector is considerably low. According to the ACEVO report released in 2018 only 9% of people who work in the charity sector are from BAME backgrounds. This number decreases significantly when looking at the executive levels of organisation. These statistics make it feel like the odds are stacked against us because we are so underrepresented in the sector - because of this I often question my decision to pursue a career in development.
Many of you are probably wondering why I am writing about this. I am providing this information to give context about the importance of the ‘Opening Doors’ programme. This is especially true for young people from the BAME background who have been working tireless to gain access into the sector. The ‘Opening Door’ programme has been launched because The Advocacy Team recognise that the development sector is missing the voices of people from BAME background.
A programme like this will help employers see that there are people from these backgrounds who want to work in the sector. In an article written for the Third Sector Kunle Olulode claims that many organisations who have non -white staff working for their organisation claim it is because “that there is a lack of suitable candidates coming forward,". This is incorrect as there are many people of colour who have the skill set to work in development. However many of us do not get the opportunity to prove that we can work in these roles because of how people are recruited in the development sector. The Opening Doors training programme will provide participants with the skill set to illustrate to employers that they are the right candidates for these jobs.
Olulode also believes “organisations simply need to think more creatively about how and from where they recruit”. Programmes such as ‘Opening Doors’ is one of the creative ways that organisation can help the sector improve the lack of diversity in development. I hope organizations reading this support this programme because this programme is needed more than ever and the impact it will have on the lives of people who participate is absolutely enormous. Our ultimate goal is to see our trainees take on leadership positions in development organisations in years to come.
As someone who has and is still struggling to gain access into the sector, I cannot express how ecstatic I am about this programme because I know it will benefit so many people who have been wanting to gain access into the field. I hope this programme opens the door for all of who want to gain access into the development because our voices, opinions and experiences are needed in this space.