Black and Asian recruits to be offered training in Wandsworth

13:30 2nd June 2009

Black and Asian people are to have more chances to seek training opportunities to become head teachers in the London borough of Wandsworth.

Less than nine per cent of head teachers in the region are from ethnic minorities and Wandsworth borough council is looking to tackle the issue by forming a partnership with Integrity Coaching.

The opportunity to progress higher up the educational ladder could appeal to many black and Asian people in the area, while computer training could also form part of the coaching.

Brendan Ryan, recruitment and remodelling manager at Wandsworth Borough Council, said: "The decision [to provide the training] followed an in-depth analysis of the teaching workforce across Wandsworth, which showed while 29 per cent of teachers in the borough were from minority backgrounds, the number of leadership positions was not representative at 8.7 per cent."

He added that the figures suggest individuals from ethnic backgrounds may face different challenges in rising up the career ladder in education.

In related education news, Pareto.co.uk reports that the Department of Innovations, Universities and Skills is to provide £83 million to help with skills training in a selection of London colleges.