The city in which we are headquartered is similar to many others in the UK. 22% of people under 25 are black or minority ethnic in Bristol. There was an increase in the proportion of young people with no educational qualifications for all ethnic minority groups between 2001 and 2011. Reasons cited include the under representativeness of the curriculum, lack of diversity in teaching staff and poor engagement with parents. Add to this high levels of unemployment for black and minority ethnic groups and the picture for a young student growing up in our city can look like an uphill struggle. A weighted backpack for their journey.

These challenges were the ones being discussed by business leaders from Wessex Water, Yeo Valley, Burges Salmon, Hargreaves Lansdown and others in a roundtable in early 2021. The discussion lead to the Bristol Future Talent Partnership (BFTP) – an organisation seeking to make Bristol the fairest and most racially equal place to study and work in the UK.

Great aspiration right? But as 2022 begins, is life any different for our young backpack wearing student? We can only vouch for the students we were lucky to engage with, but the challenge from BFTP led Burges Salmon to set up a dedicated work experience programme for black and minority ethnic students, which took in the first cohort last Autumn. Rather than us waxing lyrical about the impacts, hear from the students themselves in this video. It’s a good illustration of how a good challenge can lead to meaningful action.