Our Story
Established in 2008 by executive search firm Taylor Bennett, Dame Heather McGregor CBE FRSE, in partnership with the University of East London and founding agency Brunswick Group, the Taylor Bennett Foundation exists to increase ethnic representation across the profession.
With over 210 organisations supporting us alongside industry-leading agencies and FTSE 100 companies, we provide participants with the knowledge, skill set and network required to pursue and grow a successful career within the industry.
The Taylor Bennett Foundation operates in accordance with the Equality Act 2010 and is legally warranted to offer traineeships and/ or internships only to U.K. nationals with a “visible ethnic minority” because it can show that:
- It is offering training opportunities (and not jobs) and;
- It is targeting a group of the population which is proven to be under-represented in the sector.
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Why We Exist
Global Challenge
Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 8: Promote inclusive and sustainable economic growth, employment and decent work for all.
Established by the United Nations General Assembly in 2015, SDG Goal 8 promotes inclusive and sustainable economic growth, employment and decent work for all. According to the United Nations, decent work means opportunities for all to gain access to work opportunities that are productive and deliver a fair income, security in the workplace and better prospects for personal development and social integration.
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What can we do to fix these issues?
Two of the solutions we continue to anchor the Foundation on to create solutions to the challenges The UN have outlined are:
1
Investing in education and training of the highest possible quality, providing youth with skills that match labour market demands
2
Levelling the playing field so that all aspiring young people can attain productive employment regardless of their gender, income level or socio-economic background
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging in the U.K. Public Relations and Communications Profession
The Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) in 2020 released the Race in PR Report which provided an overview of the U.K. Public Relations and Communications profession. The report revealed the declining levels of ethnic diversity with insufficient action being taken to address the issue.
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To find out how the profession had progressed since the CIPR report, in 2023, the Taylor Bennett Foundation in a pro-bono partnership with world-leading market research company IPSOS Mori conducted a landmark research report to identify the contributing factors that impact increasing greater ethnic representation in the industry.
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Below is an excerpt from the survey findings where respondents shared their sentiment on whether they believed ethnic background was seen as a bigger barrier by those working in-house than by those working in a consultancy role, Over half (52%) of employees surveyed did not think everyone in their organisation has the same opportunities to progress regardless of their ethnic background, and 42% thought the same regarding social class.
Q
To what extent do you personally feel that your ability to progress within the organisation you work for/with has been limited by issues relating to any of your particular characteristics (such as age, race/ethnicity, gender, disability, etc.)?
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Q
And which particular characteristics do you feel have limited your ability to progress within the organisation you work for/with?
The findings show why our work at the Foundation matters and the importance of showcasing the variety of opportunities a career in public relations and communications offers. Our programmes have been designed to go on a journey with future and existing professionals, providing them with the necessary insight, mentoring, and professional senior development required to design their success in the industry.