According to research by the Pew Center Charitable Trusts, one in every 15 Black men in America is incarcerated. When the study looked at Black men ages 20-34, the incarceration rate jumped 40 percent to 1 in every 9, compared to 1 in every 106 white men. Black Americans are more pessimistic about their futures, with just 44 percent expecting their lives to get better financially, compared with 57 percent back in 1986, according to the Pew Center poll. Thousands of Blacks and Latinos are foregoing much-needed medical attention in an effort to pull together dollars to save their homes and many have lost their jobs too. In 2006, at the height of subprime lending, 41 percent of Latino homebuyers and 48 percent of Black homebuyers signed on for subprime mortgages, compared with only 18 percent of white borrowers and 17 percent of Asian borrowers, according to ACORN. But all isn't lost. In 2007, the Black share of total buying power is 8.4 percent, up from 7.4 percent in 1990, according to the Selig Center for Economic Growth. This is expected to rise to 8.7 percent by 2012, which accounts for nine cents out of every dollar spent nationwide.

Female workers are being hit harder than ever before by the effects of the current downturn, a report suggests. A study by the TUC showed the redundancy rate among women had risen by 2.3%, almost double the rate for men, since last year. It said more women were in work and more households depended on a woman's wage than in previous downturns. It also found many job losses were occurring in retail and hospitality, where more women than men work. Meanwhile, a separate study by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development showed half of employers had launched recruitment freezes in a bid to avoid making redundancies, while a similar number were shedding temporary or agency workers. The survey of almost 900 employers revealed one in seven had introduced short-term working or cut bonuses, while 7% had trimmed wage costs.

The colour bar is still alive for those seeking jobs and a home, a disturbing undercover investigation has found. Out of 30 recruitment agencies contacted, 25 readily agreed to a request that only white applicants be sent along for a job as a receptionist. The investigation, carried out for BBC One’s Inside Out West, also found letting agents were willing to discriminate, with 17 out of 30 agreeing not to offer a house to anyone from an ethnic minority. Prof Tariq Modood of the Centre for the Study of Ethnicity and Citizenship, said: "I'm surprised how many people were willing to go along with a very blatant suggestion of discrimination. Past surveys have tended to suggest maybe a third of people will discriminate and you have found that it is greater than that." Tom Hadley, of the Recruitment and Employment Confederation said: "It shows there's still a lot of work we need to do. We will not tolerate this kind of discriminatory behaviour."  Source: Metro

During this current recession, certain groups are being affected by job losses to a greater degree than others. A report from the U.S. Department of Labor has confirmed that Blacks are at the top of list of the most adversely affected, with an unemployment rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate for Hispanics was 9.7% and the rate for whites was 6.9%. The report also said adult men are losing jobs faster than women. The unemployment rate for adult men is 7.6% and the rate for adult women is 6.2%. Older Americans are also among the hardest hit by unemployment. The labor department report said that the unemployment rate for workers over 55 years of age was 12.8%. The trend during this downturn has been for employers to lay off older workers who earn higher salaries in favor of younger workers that they can pay less. Also, since the baby boomers approaching retirement make up a very large portion of the workforce, they have suffered a larger share of the job cuts across all industries. Taking these statistics into consideration, it may turn out that older Black men may be the group at greatest risk during this recession.

Bettertheworld.com, the world's first, effortless fundraising platform that provides tools to empower millions of people to raise money for charity simply by surfing the web, has been launched. The platform targets internet users who have no money to give to charity and charity supporters who want to do more. In less than two minutes, people can join through www.bettertheworld.com, download the tools, start raising money, and track the impact of their activities. The tools include a browser sidebar, and Google powered search toolbar, both of which seamlessly integrate to Microsoft Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox. According to the Association of Fundraising Professionals, 2009 is expected to be a very challenging year for fundraisers. Many charities are viewing 2009 as an opportunity to re-evaluate and capture the trend toward low cost, high engagement models supported by the use of online tools and programs. By partnering with leading global and local charities and foundations like the Habitat for Humanity, TakingITGlobal, Children's Miracle Network, United Way Toronto, CANFAR, SickKids Foundation, the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, and Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario, Better The World plans to deliver high quality programs that are well managed and executed in the field.

MicroPlace, a website that enables everyday people to invest in the world's working poor, has announced the launch of a new investment opportunity that offers a 5 percent return, a first in the microfinance investment industry for everyday investors. Through MicroPlace (www.microplace.com), anyone can make microfinance investments that lift people from poverty and offer a 5 percent rate of return. Investors don't have to compromise their financial goals to help people escape poverty. By visiting MicroPlace, people can invest as little as $20 and have the opportunity to earn 5 percent interest. With money market funds currently offering an average of 1 percent and the stock market yielding negative returns over the past year, MicroPlace investments offer a healthier return while simultaneously making a positive impact in the world. The 5 percent investment opportunity listed on MicroPlace is offered by MicroCredit Enterprises (www.mcenterprises.org), a nonprofit organization committed to reducing poverty by providing small loans to the working poor around the world. MicroCredit Enterprises currently finances microloans in 15 nations on four continents. Women are the recipient of 89 percent of its microloans. Microfinance has been recognized worldwide as a simple but powerful tool that enables the poor to pull themselves out of poverty. Most commonly, it involves making small loans – as little as $20 - to the working poor in developing countries. The loans are used to establish or expand small businesses that generate additional income for the family, enabling them to buy food, access healthcare, educate their children, put aside savings and lay the foundation for a better future.

The economic downturn has created a new north-south divide – only this time the tables are turned, with small London firms hit harder than those in any other region. Almost three-quarters of London's small and medium-sized enterprises saw sales fall or stagnate in the fourth quarter of 2008, a study of almost 1,300 firms found. Small firms also suffered in the south-east, south-west and the West Midlands. But Scotland and the north-east fared better than other regions, with many SME's still growing.

Almost a quarter (24%) of British employees went to work in January despite feeling too unwell to do so, according to a survey by the TUC. Of these, 28% said that they did so because they didn’t want to let down their colleagues. Only 12% of the 1,389 respondents said that they had never gone to work when they felt too ill. The TUC said that the survey "paints a very different picture of sickness absence from the caricature that British workers are always taking bogus 'sickies' and stay home at first sign of a sniffle". It also pointed to CBI research showing that sickness absence has been falling steadily: in 1998 workers took an average of 8.5 days off sick a year. Last year 6.7 days was the average figure.  Source: CIPD

Houlihan Lokey Howard & Zukin. Votes from its financial services readership resulted in the list of the Top 100 firms in the global financial markets by hereisthecity.com. The Top 10 includes (last year's Top 32 positions in brackets): 2. Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, 3(2). UBS, 4(1). Merrill Lynch, 5(12). Barclays Group, 6(4). Credit Suisse, 7(3). Nomura, 8(7). Bank of America, 9. TIAA-Cref, 10(5). Aviva Investors.  Source:  hereisthecity.com

The Siemens Foundation has announced the winners of the 2009 Siemens Teacher Scholarships in collaboration with the Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF) and the United Negro College Fund (UNCF). The program provides recognition and financial support to students at historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) who plan to become science or math teachers. Many Siemens Teacher Scholars gain their first interactive classroom teaching experience through the Siemens Foundation's Siemens Science Day program, a nationwide initiative in partnership with Discovery Education that has reached more than 50,000 elementary and middle school students since its inception in 2006. By participating in Siemens Science Days, Siemens Teacher Scholars are able to share their passion for math and science and gain a unique and concrete teaching experience.

A new fund offering assistance for Midlands-based businesses to train and up-skill their staff is accepting applications. First mooted before Christmas, the University of Derby is now inviting local firms to register their interest in the £250,000 Skills Development Fund. The programme, which is financed by a windfall received as a result of the Government’s 2.5% cut in VAT, will enable companies from across the Midlands to sign their staff up to undertake skills development and training courses at the University. It can also offer participating businesses in-depth consultancy worth up to £3,000 to help identify what areas of training would be most beneficial to them. The Skills Development Fund is available to businesses that are operating, or have considerable presence, in the Midlands, are a VAT-registered commercial business or voluntary organisation and are not in receipt of any other public funding or training. Participating SMEs (under 249 employees) are required to guarantee that at least two of their staff will undertake training, while larger companies (250 or more employees) must commit at least ten of their workers to the scheme. Interested businesses are asked to contact University of Derby Corporate, the institution's business-to-business operating division, and arrange a company visit to discuss what courses may be suitable for their staff members to undertake and determine what level of funding may be available to them. The deadline for signing up to take part in the programme is 30 April 2009.

Small firms can scoop a big prize package including up to £25,000 worth of new computer equipment if they can show how using IT has improved their performance. Entries are invited for this year’s Dell Small Business Excellence Awards, a global competition run across 13 countries by computer giant Dell Corporation Limited. Up to ten finalists in each participating country will get a Dell laptop worth £1,000, while the overall national winners will receive £15,000 worth of Dell products and support services, along with a ten-year membership of an Accredited Chamber of Commerce. The overall global winner will scoop £25,000 worth of Dell products and business support, along with lifelong membership to the International Council for Small Businesses. The awards are open to entries from any business that employs 100 or fewer staff. Participating firms are required to demonstrate how they have used IT to deliver a "superior customer experience" against criteria including : Innovative use of IT (20%) and How IT has led to better customer experience (40%).Interested companies can enter the contest online at the Dell website up to the closing date of 3 April.

Half a million pounds is being made available to fund skills training for West Midlands workers and businesses hit by the recession. Staffordshire University has launched their new Working Futures Fund, which will offer up to £3,000 to help people that have been made redundant, or whose jobs are under threat, to gain new skills and qualifications. The scheme has been funded by the windfall generated by UK Chancellor Alistair Darling's 2.5% cut in the rate of VAT last November. The university is believed to be one of only two educational establishments in the entire country to use to reinvest the cash in providing retraining. The £3,000 per person funding can be used to undertake a wide range of business-related courses at the university, including business leadership, management skills, public service leadership and counselling skills. For further information about the Working Futures Fund, contact Staffordshire University's Business Evolution team on 01782 294178 or email  c.watson@staffs.ac.uk

The EU directive on temporary agency workers should not be implemented in the UK until 2011, despite the plight of agency workers in the recession, employers groups have warned. The controversial legislation, which will entitle agency workers to some of the same basic employment rights as permanent workers after 12 weeks' employment, would have given some protection to agency workers laid off in recent weeks. But Kevin Green, chief executive of the Recruitment and Employment Confederation, said that the legislation needed to be framed in such a way that firms should not be deterred from hiring agency workers in the first place. The Agency Work Commission's report recommends limiting the scope of equal treatment for agency workers to basic salary and other statutory rights and ensuring the 12-week qualifying period is easy to administer. It also states that highly skilled workers, who aren't in the group of "vulnerable" workers that the law is designed to protect, should be excluded from the regulations to ease the administrative burden.

A major year-long consultation into the future of UK third sector funding has been officially launched. Umbrella body the National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) has revealed the eleven individuals tasked with exploring how the voluntary and community sectors can overcome the recession and look forward to a sustainable long-term future. The new Funding Commission will be headed up by former Deputy Governor of the Bank of England Rachel Lomax. The Commission will consult widely on how the voluntary and community sector can rise to the economic challenges and move towards a more securely funded longer- term future.

To encourage innovation and entrepreneurship in Africa, EMRC and the Rabobank Foundation have collaborated in initiating the "Project Incubator Award". During EMRC's Africa Finance & Investment Forum 2008 in Paris, The Rabobank Foundation awarded the $10.000 prize to MUPECI, a microfinance institution from Cameroon. The next Project Incubator award will be next presented at EMRC's Agribusiness 2009 forum to be held in Cape Town, South Africa form the 14th to the 17th of June. The fund for the prize has been increased to US$15.000 and there will be 2 additional runner ups awards. The deadline for applications is the 10th of May. For further information on all the projects presented for the latest edition of the award please visit our website or contact us directly through Caterina Giuliano (cg@emrc.be).

The fifth Africa-Israel Economic Mission 2009 will be held from the 3rd to the 7th of May. This vocational trip will once again couple public and private sectors partners from Africa and Israel. Guided visits will include tours of greenhouses, drip-irrigation systems, solar energy plants, dairy and poultry farms as well as aquaculture sites. Biotechnology applications in agriculture will also be examined. This visit is organised in collaboration with Agritech (the International Exhibition for Technology in Agriculture), Mashav (The Israeli Centre for International Cooperation), CINADCO (Centre for International Agricultural Development Cooperation), the Israel-Africa Chamber of Commerce and the Israel Export & International Cooperation Institute. For further information please contact Francois Kacen:  fk@emrc.be

An annual business planning competition aimed at encouraging and rewarding new or early-stage science and technology ventures is open to entries. The Technium Challenge offers a prize package worth £30,000 to the overall winner, including £5,000 in cash, £5,000 worth of rent at a Technium facility, and £1,000 worth of consultancy and marketing support. The UK-wide contest, provided by the Welsh Assembly Government-backed business incubation network Technium, is open to technology or science-based businesses that have been trading for less than two years and can demonstrate a fairly well developed patentable idea or technology which involves a strong R&D element and a strong interest in receiving practical advice from external advisors to generate new ideas and support to develop a business plan.

A £100,000 fund to forge stronger relationships between Scottish SMEs and universities has been launched. Provided by the Scottish Further and Higher Education Funding Council (SFC), the initiative will help businesses and academics work together on developing innovative new products, processes and services. The scheme will be run by Interface - the national matchmaking programme helping businesses team up with universities – and is modelled on a number of similar knowledge transfer funds successfully run across the UK and Europe. It is hoped the programme will enable Scottish businesses to become more competitive whilst at the same time helping to promote a "culture of innovation" and lay the foundations for longer term knowledge transfer relationships. Universities will be able to approach a suitable industry partner, or use Interface to find a collaborator, then claim grants worth between £500 and £5,000 to carry out projects such as feasibility studies, technology audits or new process, product and service development. Funding is available across all business sectors and university disciplines, with participating SME expected to match the SFC's contribution. For more details about business-university collaborations, visit the Interface website.

A new £1.5 million fund has been established to help people living in disadvantaged areas of North Tyneside to start their own business. Up to 1,500 aspiring entrepreneurs are expected to be offered advice and start-up support through the Raising Enterprise North Tyneside project over the next three years. Half of the initiative's funding is being stumped up by regional development agency One North East via the European Regional Development Fund, with scheme providers North Tyneside Council contributing the other 50%. The scheme will set up a Neighbourhood Enterprise Team (NET) who will hold a series of seminars, workshops and business advice sessions throughout the area's four most deprived boroughs - Riverside, Wallsend, Chirton and Howdon – with the aim of inspiring the next generation of business brains. Meanwhile, a Business Opportunity Sourcing Service will operate alongside the NET, focusing on local openings for those looking to start-up in business, including franchises. It will aid around 450 up-and-coming entrepreneurs who would like to become self-employed but lack the business ideas to progress further by guiding them through the pre-start up stage of development and forging initial contacts with the Business Link service. Individuals interested in becoming involved with the Raising Enterprise North Tyneside initiative are advised to contact North Tyneside Council on 0191 643 6409.

The development of agriculture in Malawi is severely hampered by an inadequate supply of a basic farming necessity – seed. Foundation seed is used to produce certified seed, which is what farmers' plant every season.

News from the UK and around the world

One in ten children in Britain lives in a racially mixed family. If trends continue, says the Equality and Human Rights Commission, some ethnic minorities may vanish as mixed-race families become the norm. A study by the Commission found that almost half of black Caribbean men are in a mixed-race relationship, compared with 8% of men of Pakistani background.

The International Growth Centre at the London School of Economics (LSE) has been launched to bring together a Nobel Prize winning economist with development experts from the London School of Economics and the University of Oxford, who will provide practical help to the governments of developing countries to support growth and improve their ability to cope with effects of the economic downturn. It will also provide innovative research on growth. The Centre is a new initiative to support growth in developing countries and improve their ability to cope with economic shocks. It represents a DFID financed venture to be undertaken by LSE and Oxford University in collaboration with a host of partners. The Centre will be supported by a range of international partners including, the Global Development Network (GDN), the Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR), the African Economic Consortium (AERC), the Abdulatif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (JPAL), the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business Initiative on Global Market, Deloitte, the South Asian Network of Economic Research Institutes, the World Bank Microeconomics of Growth Network, the Bureau for the Economic Analysis of Development, the European Development Research Network. For further information:  S.gupta4@lse.ac.uk

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has launched a Call for Proposals to fund projects in the field of Migration and Development and Jamaica is one of the eligible countries. UNDP Jamaica is currently disseminating the call widely within the country and has already identified a number of interested applicants. However the aim of the Call is to enable NGOS, local authorities, and others to work on an initiative together with their counterparts in migrant countries of destinations. Any applicants from Jamaica therefore need partners based in Europe, and vice versa. The closing date is 13th March 2009   www.migration4development.org/call-for-proposals

A leading BME national partnership organisation has released two new reports highlighting the contributions made by black and minorities (BME) community and voluntary organisations. Voice4Change England a partnership of national and regional BME led organisations that speak for the interest of BME Third Sector at local, regional and national levels to all types of policy makers. The reports show how the sector helps people and the community in attempt to stop government plans to withdraw funding. Vandna Gohil, Director for Voice4Change England, said it is crucial that the worth of specialist services in the sector is recognised.

The Joint International Development Grants programme 2009 in collaboration with the John Ellerman Foundation is now open. The deadline for submitting applications is 27th March 2009. Successful applicants will be announced in October 2009. For further information visit the website of Baring Foundation on  www.baringfoundation.org.uk

Built to be the premier CSR outreach platform for Business Fights Poverty, the custom-built multimedia website includes videos, podcasts, the latest news and blog posts, press releases and event announcements from Business Fights Poverty's international network of members engaged in responsible business to reduce poverty. Business Fights Poverty is an international network for professionals passionate about fighting world poverty through good business. The on-line network connects practitioners and experts around the world to form a global community of pioneers pushing the boundaries of how business can fight poverty. Business Fights Poverty is using the new EMP to showcase a major new series of events in London that will explore the role of business in international development in the context of an economic downturn, in partnership with the UK Government's Department for International Development (DFID)(www.dfid.gov.uk), the Overseas Development Institute (www.odi.org.uk) and Business Action for Africa (www.businessactionforafrica.org).

Relatives, friends and colleagues have mourned the passing of Catherine Bailey in the UK. The late Catherine Bailey co-conceived, headed up and drove (since March 2006) the International Lawyers for Africa program in the UK which mobilised more than a dozen leading law firms (including SJ Berwin where she worked) and Berwin Leighton Paisner to fund and place African law graduates in a high-powered three-month training program at British universities (including Oxbridge) and provided in-house training at the top participating law firms. It wove together a network of South African, Ghanaian and Nigerian lawyers in the City of London to further what had become a dynamic support program. Bailey was immensely committed to furthering the cause of African graduates in the UK and in mobilising South African, Ghanaian and Nigerian lawyers in the City.

A survey from PricewaterhouseCoopers and the CBI indicates that spending on regulatory compliance is increasing. 88% of banks surveyed expect to increase their spending on regulatory compliance in the next 12 months. In addition, the survey revealed that 3% of general insurance firms expect to increase staff numbers in the next three months.

A third of young people believe volunteering is the best way for individuals to reduce poverty in poor countries, according to a survey. While nearly one fifth of the adult population believes volunteering is effective at reducing poverty overseas, over one third of 16 to 24 year olds think this. The Government is calling for more young people to volunteer for its Platform2 scheme, which gives them the chance to carry out help overseas. Mike Foster, Minister for International Development, said: "It is really encouraging to see that young people today feel that getting involved is the way to fight poverty. "Platform2 gives young people the opportunity to experience the ''reality check'' of development work first hand. We know this work can make a real difference to people's lives," he added. Platform2 is funded by the Department for International Development and run by Christian Aid, Islamic Relief and British Universities North America Club.

The Tech Awards is a programme that aims to honour and award innovators from around the world who use technology to benefit humanity. Five Laureates in each category are honoured, and one Laureate per category receives US$50,000. Individuals, for-profit companies, and not-for-profit organisations are eligible to apply. The purpose of The Tech Awards programme is to inspire future scientists, technologists, and dreamers to harness the power and "promise of technology to solve the challenges that confront us at the dawn of the 21st Century". The categories are: Education, Equality, Economic, Development, Environment and Health. The application of this technology, which may be either a new invention or an innovative use of an existing technology, makes a noteworthy contribution that surpasses previous or current solutions. Nominations and applications must be submitted online in English. The deadline for application is March 27 2009.  The Tech Awards website

The Directory of Social Change has published a fully revised and updated edition of the essential handbook for fundraising for the developing countries (including Africa, Asia, Latin America and countries of Eastern Europe). It is called the World Wide fundraiser's Handbook, 2nd edition, written by Michael Norton and published in association with the Directory of Social Change. The new edition contains; new sections on internet fundraising and branding and image and a completely updated section on income generation and guidance using case studies. To order a copy;  contact@resource-alliance.org

Efinancial careers reports that a greater number of technology roles within banks are likely to be outsourced in 2009, as banks look for ways to cut costs.

The Elsevier Foundation has announced today that it has committed a total of $555,000 in grants to ten institutions from around the world in support of initiatives that promote the work of libraries and scholars in science, technology and medicine. The winning proposals were selected from over 165 applicants worldwide for their innovation and potential for impact in the developing world, nursing community and academic workplace. Four grants have been awarded under the Innovative Libraries in Developing Countries program. The winners include institutions across Africa and Asia, dedicated to improving access to scientific information, developing information resources, and training librarians and researchers on how to use and deploy information for patient care, HIV/AIDS research, and agricultural development. The Elsevier Foundation provides grants to institutions around the world, with a focus on support for the world's libraries and for scholars in the early stages of their careers. Since its inception, the Foundation has awarded more than 50 grants worth over a million dollars to non-profit organizations working in these fields. Through gift-matching, the Foundation also supports the efforts of Elsevier employees to play a positive role in their local and global communities. The Elsevier Foundation is funded by Elsevier, a leading global publisher of scientific, technical and medical information products and services.

For the tenth year, Deloitte has been named to FORTUNE magazine's list of "100 Best Companies to Work For." The annual survey, which appears in the February 2 issue of FORTUNE and on www.fortune.com, is the national benchmark that lists employers who consistently raise the bar on talent initiatives and corporate culture improvement for all employees. The FORTUNE list of "100 Best Companies to Work for in America" pays tribute to the companies that excel in motivating employees and helping them manage their personal and professional lives. Of the more than 1,000 organizations contacted, 253 of them participated in this year's survey. Nearly 81,000 employees at those organizations responded to a survey created by the Great Place to Work Institute, a global research and consulting firm. The employees are asked a variety of questions about credibility, respect, fairness, pride and camaraderie. Employee opinions factored heavily in the decision process for the list, as two-thirds of the company's score was weighted on responses from randomly selected employees.

The economic downturn has forced HR to change its priorities, with organisational performance and employee engagement now at the top of the list, according to new research. A survey by employee engagement specialists TalentDrain found that a third (30 per cent) of HR departments have changed their strategy as a result of the economic downturn. Over half (56 per cent) are putting less focus on recruitment and almost three-quarters (72 per cent) have increased their emphasis on organisational performance. The change of focus was often linked to reduced budgets; with 38 per cent of the 336 HR departments surveyed having cut their budget by more than 5 per cent. Some 13 per cent had reduced their workforce budget by more than 25 per cent. Ron Eldridge, director of TalentDrain and author of the report, said: "The new strategic focus, even for organisations that have not cut their HR budgets, seems to be around identifying, engaging and retaining those employees who are high performers, while more proactively managing any areas of underperformance."

Britons are apparently remaining upbeat despite the economic gloom. People are happier than they were at the start of the millennium, with just 17% feeling unhappy at work compared with 26% in 2000. Just 21% think their life is chaotic and out of control, against 27% in 2000, betdoctor.co.uk.

The number of British students at UK universities has fallen for the first time in recent history. Numbers are down 1% on last year, while there has been continued growth in the number of students coming from overseas - almost a 5% rise on last year. The Westminster government says the number of people going to university in England is at an all-time high. It wants more than half of young people to go on to higher education. The number of UK students at UK universities fell from 1.97 million in 2007 to 1.96 million last year. That is the first fall in numbers since they have been collected centrally. The Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills points out that the 1% fall in UK students is accounted for by falls in British students at universities in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. There was no significant change in numbers of British students at England's universities between 2007 and 2008. England's universities saw an overall 1% rise in students over the same period, although this is only when students from overseas are included. While numbers of home students in the UK fell between 2007 and 2008, those coming from overseas rose by 4.8%. This broke down to a 6% rise in students from other European Union countries (total of 112,150 in 2008) and a 4% rise in those from non EU countries (total 229,640). The number of British part-time students in the UK fell 3% between 2007 and 2008, to 762,340.

Clifford Chance has been voted International Law Firm of the Year. Another recent success was their being voted Best Law Firm for Emissions Trading for a third successive year. In fact Clifford Chance was the first law firm to create an Environmental and Climatic Trading Group. The firm advises on all aspects of climatic and environmental law including trading carbon credits. Clifford Chance has also been shortlisted for three categories of The Lawyer HR Awards (Best Corporate Responsibility Initiative; Most Effective Internal Communication; Best Recruitment Website).

Futurebuilders England has launched a new scheme to help smaller third sector groups successfully bid for public sector contracts. Thanks to £150,000 funding from the Cabinet Office's National Programme for Third Sector Commissioning (NPTSC), the £220,000 Small Organisations Tender Fund will offer grants to cover capacity building work and the costs of tendering for contracts. The scheme is open to third sector organisations that have been operating for at least a year and have an annual turnover of less than £250,000. It can provide grants worth up to 10% of the overall contract value, to a maximum of £15,000. Announcing the initiative, Jonathan Lewis, chief executive of Futurebuilders England, said the new fund offers a great chance for smaller third sector organisations to realise their potential. To be eligible for funding, organisations must meet a number of criteria, including a turnover of less than £250,000. Futurebuilders England also provides a support scheme for larger organisations – the Tender Fund, which offers interest-free loans of up to £1 million.

Colleges across Scotland are set to receive £7 million so they can help businesses overcome the economic downturn. The Scottish Funding Council will stump up £2 million before April and a further £5 million after that to enable colleges to offer training and skills courses in areas that suffer major redundancies. Many institutions had already allocated their regular training and skills budgets, but this extra investment will allow them to continue their work as part of the Scottish Government's Partnership Action for Continuing Employment (PACE) initiative. PACE is a national framework formalising quick, tailored support to help people who are made redundant develop the skills required to find new jobs.

Headcount reductions in the first half of the year will be broader and deeper in the UK than those made last year, but skill shortages will continue to exist, according to a survey of HR decision makers by global recruiter Randstad. Among the findings were: Almost half (46%) the organisations said they plan to make cutbacks in the next few months, compared to 38% who made headcount reductions between the summer and mid-November last year; The proportion of organisations planning reductions that expect to cut more than 10% of their employees is due to double to 22%; more than half (55%) of the organisations with more than 10,000 employees expect to make reductions in the next few months; 55% said that they were experiencing skills shortages, with the key areas of demand being managerial, operations and IT; 70% report that the UK still has a long-term skills problem. Fred van der Tang, managing director, Randstad UK Professional Services, says: "Whilst our research shows that headcount reductions are likely to be significant in the coming months, it indicates that many organisations believe they will still be short of key skills to cope with the recession."

South Africans will need visas to travel to the UK under new rules designed to tackle terrorism and illegal immigration. The UK Government says its position follows concerns that too many immigrants are obtaining South African passports and travelling to Britain without further checks. There are also fears al Qaida operatives are using South Africa as a transit point to enter Britain, according to a report in The Times. Six months ago South Africa and 10 other countries, including Brazil and Mauritius, were warned to improve their passport security systems or face new visa requirements. In 2007, 419,000 South Africans travelled to the UK legally, including 168,000 tourists and 46,200 business visitors. Nearly 3,000 were given work permits. They are the fifth largest group of visitors to Britain behind citizens of the US, Australia, Canada and Japan. Visitor visas lasting up to six months cost £65 and work visas £205. The move is likely to prompt fears of reciprocal changes affecting British holidaymakers going in the other direction.

The International Women's Media Foundation is now accepting applications for the 2009-10 Elizabeth Neuffer Fellowship, named for the 1998 IWMF Courage in Journalism Award winner and Boston Globe correspondent who was killed in Iraq in May 2003. This program, created with Neuffer’s family and friends, aims to perpetuate her memory and advance her life mission of promoting international understanding of human rights and social justice while creating an opportunity for women journalists to build their skills. One woman journalist will be selected to spend an academic year in a tailored program with access to Boston-area universities as well as the Boston Globe and New York Times. The flexible structure of the program will provide the fellow with opportunities to pursue academic research and hone her reporting skills covering topics related to human rights. The fellow may also participate in the Elizabeth Neuffer Forum on Human Rights and Journalism. The Elizabeth Neuffer Fellowship is open to women journalists whose focus is human rights and social justice. A successful applicant will be dedicated to a career in journalism in print, broadcast or online media and will show a strong commitment to sharing knowledge and skills with colleagues upon the completion of the fellowship. Excellent written and spoken English skills are required. A stipend will be provided, and expenses, including airfare and housing, will be covered. Applications will be accepted until April 15, 2009, and the fellowship will run from September 2009 – May 2010. For further information, visit  www.iwmf.org/neuffer

The fastest growing jobs in the UK, according to jobs website careerbuilder.co.uk, are for engineers, environmental consultants, cosmetologists, public relations specialists, human resources professionals, advertising executives, teachers, accountants, counselors and data communications analysts.

What could you do with £10,000 this year? Now into it's second year the Creme of Nature £10,000 Community Action Award is focused on those with great ideas and vision in African Caribbean voluntary, faith and community groups, whose primary objective is to support and encourage women. Now into its second year, the Award is focused on those in African Caribbean voluntary, faith and community groups, whose primary objective is to support and encourage women. Applications are welcome from individuals to small groups, but priority will be given to those who have an annual turnover of less than £50,000. The final closing date for applications is the 17th April 2009.

Cadbury plc has announced that the Cadbury Cocoa Partnership is now active across 100 Ghanaian communities, marking the 100th anniversary of cocoa trading with Ghana. The Cadbury Cocoa Partnership, established last year in conjunction with the United Nations Development Programme, also announced the partners driving its community support at grassroots level in Ghana are CARE, Voluntary Service Overseas and World Vision. Since its launch last year, the Cadbury Cocoa Partnership has begun investing in Ghanaian farming as part of a ten-year £30 million commitment to secure the future of cocoa farmers and their communities.1 While Ghanaian cocoa trades at a premium due to its consistent high quality, the country's cocoa farming industry is facing increasing challenges ranging from the ever-present threat of crop disease to attracting the next generation of farmers. The Cadbury Cocoa Partnership's first year has seen a Ghana Board set up to oversee the programme which includes representatives from Ghanaian government ministries, farmer organisations and development specialists. The 100 communities who have now joined the partnership have been identifying their main development needs, including the construction of new school buildings or forming Cocoa Youth Clubs to encourage the next generation to remain with agriculture, particularly cocoa farming. In 2009 Cadbury Cocoa Partnership is extending its activities to focus on improving farm income levels by developing farmer education programmes that explore best cocoa management practices leading to high quality and increased yields. By 2018, Cadbury estimates it will have made a demonstrable difference to the lives of around half a million Ghanaian farmers.

With funding from the Citi Foundation, 15 non-profit community-based organizations across the country that help entrepreneurs start and grow their businesses will be able to hire graduate students as summer interns this year. Called the "Citi Aspen Interns Project," the interns will help collect data on clients, while also learning about the microenterprise development field, which provides budding entrepreneurs with capital and/or training. This is the third consecutive year that Citi Foundation has supported the internship project. Funding allows each organization to recruit and hire an intern, who receives a $7,000 stipend. As part of the $250,000 program, the Citi Foundation is funding researchers at FIELD, the Microenterprise Fund for Innovation, Effectiveness, Learning and Dissemination, to manage the project and provide the interns with data collection training. FIELD is part of the Washington, D.C.-based Aspen Institute. Microenterprises are defined as very small businesses capitalized with $35,000 or less and employing five or fewer people. Today, approximately 500 organizations nationwide are engaged in the microenterprise field. Data collected through the project can be used by the organizations to identify gaps in service, fund-raise or advocate for entrepreneurship. The internship experience exposes college students both to the microenterprise field and to potential careers within the industry.

The 4th Women in Africa and the African Diaspora (WAAD) International Conference on Education, Gender & Sustainable Development in the Age of Globalization takes place in Abuja, Nigeria from August 3-8, 2009.For over a decade, the WAAD conferences have provided the space for researchers, students, policy makers, activists, women and men of different races, religious persuasions and ideological leanings to engage in vigorous and fruitful debates on issues relating to women in Africa and the African Diaspora. The first WAAD conference held in Nsukka, a small university town in rural Nigeria, gathered over 700 researchers, activists, policy makers, and students from five continents. The conference generated ten-volume proceedings of over 200 original papers and saw the beginning of the Association of African Women Scholars (AAWS). The second WAAD conference, held in Indianapolis (USA) in 1998, gathered hundreds of participants from 35 countries and 48 national and international organizations. The third conference in Madagascar was equally very well attended. The WAAD conference has succeeded in putting in place forward-looking strategies for continuing its work. It maintains a global network and has published three volumes of selected papers. With the theme (Education, Gender & Sustainable Development in the Age of Globalization), the 4th WAAD interdisciplinary conference will provide opportunities for constituencies inside and outside the academy, researchers, academicians, practitioners, policy makers, professionals, and students from various disciplines in the humanities, social sciences, pure and applied sciences, professional schools, etc. to discuss the education of women and girls in Africa and the African Diaspora and explore its relationship to sustainable development in a rapidly globalizing, complex world. Forms for paper, panel, roundtable and workshop proposals are available on the conference website:  www.waadconf.org. Click on "Proposals." Send as e-mail attachments the completed proposal form, abstract and curriculum vitae (as Word documents) by March 15, 2009 to the Convener at waadconf@iupui.edu. Selected papers will be published.

News from the UK and around the world

The new edition of the Times Higher Education-QS World University Rankings 2008 indicates an increasing acceptance of the importance of these rankings by the international higher education community and those that employ graduates from the top universities in the world. The THE-QS World University Rankings 2008 have received unprecedented response levels from both the international academic community and employers. 6,354 academics (compared with 5,101 in 2007) and 2,339 employers (compared with 1,482 in 2007) responded to the surveys, eager to reflect the position and influence of the world’s leading universities. Now in its fifth year, the research is conducted and compiled by QS Quacquarelli Symonds and features online on the QS web site www.topuniversities.com. This latest edition of the THE-QS World University Rankings also reflects the increasing profile of technology-based universities, with many of the world’s top universities in this area such as Caltech, MIT, ETH Zurich and Hong Kong University of Science and Technology improving their position. As demand by international employers for more technology-literate graduates has grown, the importance of these universities has risen in the Rankings. The UK and USA continue to dominate - Harvard University remains as the top university, with Yale moving ahead of Cambridge for the second spot. Oxford drops to fourth, while Princeton drops out of the top ten, replaced by the only new entrant in the Top 10, Columbia University.

A new £6.2 million scheme has been launched to fund staff training across the East of England. Financed by the European Social Fund, "Beyond 2010" will offer SMEs in ten priority sectors the chance of a full consultancy to identify staff skills needs, along with grants of up to 50% of the costs of undertaking the relevant training. It will also offer specific help to workers facing redundancy. The Response to Redundancy strand will provide advice, guidance, and re-training opportunities to help get people back into work. The programme aims to build on the success of the previous "Towards 2010" initiative, which supported nearly 2,400 businesses and helped train more than 8,800 workers. The programme is open to East of England-based small to medium sized enterprises that are operating in any of the following priority sectors: Automotive and high-tech manufacturing, Creative industries, Financial services, Food and drink processing, Life sciences and healthcare, Low carbon and sustainable technologies, Social enterprise, Sustainable communities and the built environment, Tourism and the 2012 Olympics and Transport gateways. For more information on Beyond 2010, contact Tom Bendy at the Essex Development and Regeneration Association (ExDRA) on 01245 702407 or email tom.bendy@exdra.co.uk

According to the "BSR/Cone 2008 Corporate Responsibility in a New World Survey", more than two-thirds of the business leaders say that more responsible business practices could have lessened, or even prevented, the current economic downturn. Additionally, nearly nine out of 10 survey respondents believe U.S. President-Elect Barack Obama will have a positive impact on advancing the corporate responsibility agenda. Survey respondents outlined the most important steps the Obama Administration should take to advance corporate responsibility around the world, including promoting major investments in renewable energy and carbon capture and storage technologies. (67 percent) and taking measurable steps toward progress on effective, efficient, and fair global climate change mitigation strategies (53%). At the same time, an overwhelming majority (94 percent) anticipate increased government regulation of issues related to corporate responsibility, including climate change (86 percent) and corporate governance and financial transparency (83 percent). Nearly three-quarters of business leaders (72 percent) expect that there will be increasing demands on business to solve societal problems, and more than half believe business will meet those demands. The BSR/Cone 2008 Corporate Responsibility in a New World Survey was conducted November 5, 2008, among a sample of corporate responsibility professionals attending the Business for Social Responsibility Conference. The sample population is comprised of 424 representatives from business, NGOs, government, and academia, representing 28 countries.

The UK Government has unveiled details of a new National Skills Academy (NSA) for Enterprise which is aiming to equip young people with the skills to set up in business. The new academy will be launched early in 2009 and will be headed by Peter Jones from the BBC television programme Dragons' Den. The NSA for Enterprise will deliver the UK's first NVQ level two and three qualifications in enterprise and entrepreneurship, with courses designed by employers and training specialists. It is expected to deliver vocational courses to 11,000 young people aged 16 to 19 within its first three years, offering training on-site, online and at a variety of dedicated NSA colleges to equip them to work for businesses or set up their own. Established businesses will also be able to take advantage of short courses at the new academy to help them to develop their own and their employees' skills. The National Skills Academies were started by the Government in 2006 as a way of involving employers in creating training programmes that suit their needs. The NSA for Enterprise has been announced alongside three others - the NSA for Power, the NSA for Information Technology and the NSA for Social Care - taking the total number of NSAs to 16.

The UK Government has increased the age at which someone can apply for a marriage visa from 18 to 21. From 27th November 2008, both parties in a marriage will have to be 21 before a marriage visa can be issued. The Government said that raising the age is just one part of its work to crackdown on forced marriage and on those who attempt to abuse the marriage visa route. The Home Office has helped businesses to prepare for the implementation of Tiers 2 and 5 of the points system by publishing detailed guidance on the two tiers. Under these tiers - which cover skilled and temporary workers - employers will be held accountable for the workers they bring into the country, with a new sponsorship scheme holding businesses responsible for those they employ. Tier 2 of the points system will ensure that British jobseekers get the first shot at jobs and only those foreign workers needed will be able to come to the UK. Under this tier, companies must pass the Resident Labour Market test by proving they cannot fill the post with a resident worker before they can bring in someone from outside the European Economic Area (EEA).

Thirty years after Congress passed the Pregnancy Discrimination Act, a new study shows that the number of pregnancy-discrimination cases has increased, especially among women from traditionally underrepresented groups. The study, released by the National Partnership for Women and Families, found that discrimination cases jumped 65 percent from 1992 to 2007. According to the organization, race and ethnicity appear to be playing a significant role in the rise of pregnancy-discrimination complaints. During the discrete period from [fiscal year] 1996 to [fiscal year] 2005, "claims filed by women of color jumped 76 percent, while claims overall increased by 25 percent. During that time, complaints filed by Black women increased by 45 percent, by Hispanic women by 135 percent, by Asian/Pacific Islander women by 90 percent, and by American Indian/Alaska Native women by 109 percent. More than half the claims filed with the [Equal Employment Opportunity Commission] during that period (53 percent) were filed in service, retail trade and the financial-services, insurance and real-estate industries--where some seven in 10 women work."

About 300,000 college-educated legal immigrants in the state, and 1.3 million nationwide, are unemployed or working in low-level jobs because their credentials aren't recognized here, a study finds. This represents a massive "brain waste" of highly educated and skilled immigrant professionals who potentially could, with a little aid, help ease looming labor shortages in California and nationwide in healthcare, computer sciences and other skilled jobs. Nationwide, more than 1.3 million college-educated legal immigrants are unemployed or working in unskilled jobs such as dishwashers or taxi drivers, according to the report by the Washington-based Migration Policy Institute. Nearly a quarter of them live in California. Professionals from Latin America and Africa fare worse than those from Asia and Europe, the study found. Two of the biggest barriers are lack of English fluency and non-recognition of foreign academic and professional criteria. Immigrants say shortages of time and money prevent them from pursuing the needed U.S. credentials. Michael Fix, senior vice president of the Migration Policy Institute, said the need to help immigrant professionals gain the requisite credentials and experience is particularly acute now that the nation faces the impending retirement of 77 million baby boomers, considered the most skilled workforce in history. In California, for instance, the fastest growing occupations are computer software engineer and registered nurse. The migration institute report noted that competition for such professionals is heating up, with other countries such as Canada and Australia moving aggressively to attract them with better transition programs. The report urged several new measures to help ease the way for immigrant professionals, including more language and workforce training, national coordination of credentialing criteria and three-year transitional visas to allow employers to "test the waters" with foreign workers. Source: LA Times

IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, has announced a partnership with AccountAbility to develop a unique corporate management system that will help companies based in emerging markets strengthen their businesses through corporate social responsibility. The new system will enable firms to build corporate-level strategies that support business development and link performance in social responsibility to quality, productivity, and efficiency. The main components are an integrated diagnostic process to quickly assess and plan according to key risks, business assets, and priority needs and a CSR Performance Excellence management framework that helps managers tie corporate social responsibility to business activities such as procurement, marketing, and product design. According to the IFC, this partnership will provide clients with a system that guides them step by step on how to align their CSR efforts with their core business priorities and competencies — while communicating their efforts to shareholders.

The latest league table of the world's leading universities shows Cambridge and Oxford losing ground to Harvard and Yale and a decrease in the number of UK universities in the top 200. The table, which is produced by QS World University Rankings for the Times Higher Education, shows Harvard in the number one spot for the fifth year running. Yale is second, having been joint second with Oxford and Cambridge last year. Cambridge is third, Oxford fourth, Imperial College, London is sixth and University College, London (UCL) is seventh. UCL was ninth in 2007 and like Kings College, London which has risen from 24th to 22nd is one of the few UK universities to improve its ranking. The London School of Economics slips from 59th to 66th. Other UK risers are University of Manchester, 30th to 29th; University of Bristol, 37th to 32nd; and the University of Glasgow, 83rd to 73rd. Overall there are 29 UK universities in the top 200- a decrease of one. Wendy Piatt, director-general of the Russell Group of leading universities, said that its members were performing well against international rivals, particularly the US institutions- which benefit from much higher levels of investment than UK universities. For example Harvard's endowment fund is greater than the total annual funding of all universities in England. The huge investment in higher education and science in China looks set to overtake the UK very soon in terms of research publications and its universities are steadily climbing up the international league tables. There are nine Asian universities in the top 50, including three based in Hong Kong.

Twice as many top U.S. companies publicly released sustainability data on their environmental, social and governance information in 2008 compared with three years earlier, and ethics outweighed economics for the first time as the primary reason for such disclosures, according to a KPMG International global analysis of corporate reports. Of the top 100 U.S. companies by revenue, 74% published corporate responsibility (CR) information in 2008 either as part of their annual financial report or as a separate document, up from 37% in KPMG International's 2005 research. Globally, 80% of the Global Fortune 250 companies now release CR data, up from 64% in the last KPMG International analysis in 2005. Meanwhile, 70% of all companies studied wrote in their 2008 reports to stakeholders that ethical considerations were a primary driver for making CR disclosures, while 50% cited economic concerns as the leading reason. By comparison, in 2005 the drivers were reversed, with economic considerations cited by 74% of the companies as the reason for reporting CR data, compared with 53% of the companies citing ethical reasons for the disclosures. The KPMG International Survey on Corporate Responsibility Reporting is the most comprehensive conducted on environmental, social and governance disclosures, reviewing reports from the Global Fortune 250 (G250) and from the 100 largest companies by revenue in 22 countries.

The downturn is causing mothers to re-assess their working options, according to another new survey. The survey, from jobsite Workingmums.co.uk, shows that 79% of mothers are now looking to return to work or increase their present working hours due to the credit crunch. An earlier survey conducted by the jobsite showed that 90% of mothers found it very difficult to find flexible work, although the vast majority wanted this so they could balance work and family life. According to the jobsite, the current economic situation presents "some good opportunities for mothers to assess their working options and look at what is available to help them meet their needs", calling working mothers "a fantastic pool of talent that many businesses should be calling upon."

QS Quacquarelli Symonds, the world's leading career and education intelligence provider, has created a preliminary university ranking technology, known as SAFE (System, Access, Flagship, Economics). It is the first attempt worldwide to compare entire national higher education systems, rather than individual institutions. SAFE utilizes latest research emerging from the Times Higher Education-QS World University Rankings 2008 to draw comparisons across 40 countries. The innovative methodology provides a direct comparison between the world's higher education-providing nations. It contains new criteria which avoid the pitfalls of ranking nations simply according to the number of universities those nations have in the top 200. Developed over the last twelve months by QS, SAFE allows a more direct comparison between two nations using the four key criteria. This preliminary analysis attempts to take the different economic and demographic realities of each country into account whilst evaluating the success of each national system in terms of its global competitiveness.

Poorly managed conflicts in the workplace are crippling British business, according to a new report 'Fight, Flight or Face It' from business psychology firm OPP and the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development. The average UK employee spends over two hours a week dealing with conflict, which means in total more than 370 million working days were lost last year at a cost to British employers of more than £24 billion. Personality clashes and warring egos are the number one cause of conflict, cited by 49% of respondents. Stress and heavy workloads follow, being cited by 34% and 33% of employees respectively. Over half of employees (54%) and many more HR professionals (80%) want managers to address underlying tensions before they escalate into conflict. A quarter (27%) of employees have seen disagreements involving personal attacks or insults, while one in six (16%) have actually seen conflicts lead to people being fired. Meanwhile, the majority of HR professionals (63%) have seen employees become ill or absent following a disagreement within their organisation. According to HR professionals, most conflict is seen in departments at the operational level, such as customer service, where it has a direct impact on the performance and reputation of an organisation. However, conflict also exists at the senior levels, where others in the organisation take their cue: 12% of employees say that disagreements among their senior team are frequent or continual. Over the course of the average 44-year career, employees will spend nearly six months dealing with workplace conflict. It could actually be time well spent, but only if they are able to do so effectively. The report revealed that where training is more prevalent, positive outcomes from conflict are far more common. Over half (58%) of employees who have had training now look for win-win outcomes from a workplace conflict. However, the research revealed that more than half of the UK workforce (55%) has had no training in the effective management of conflict. Around a third of all employees (28%) simply allow conflict situations to continue, causing untold damage to morale and productivity.

Millions of people plan to change careers in the New Year due to the economic downturn. More than 3 million might be considering a new line of work, a survey has found. And 8% expected to swap jobs in the next 12 months, it added – working out to 3.2 million across the workforce of 40 million. One in five adults also plans to gain extra qualifications, the survey by the Association of Colleges found.

There has been a demand for part-time experienced staff as many firms look towards cost-effective recruitment in the economic downturn. Women like Us, a social enterprise set up to support women with children to find flexible work at their appropriate skill level, recorded a 121% increase in employer enquiries month on month earlier this year. It has also recruited for twice as many employers on a monthly basis during 2008 compared with the previous year. According to the organisation, employers are more cautious about recruitment in light of limited budgets in the economic downturn and taking on high-calibre part-time workers was a less risky strategy than employing experienced hires full-time.

Migrant workers help boost rather than harm communities, an influential think tank has said. Migrants fill skills gaps and do jobs other British workers do not want to do. Migrants tend to be more entrepreneurial and can se up new markets by establishing links to their home countries, the report says. But local economies are not reaping the full benefits because many migrants have returned home, says the Institute for Public Policy Research. More than a million migrants have come to Britain from the eight states which joined the EU in 2004 but about half have left. The full report recommends new policies to attract and retain migrants while ensuring that British workers receive adequate skills and training.

A third of students work the equivalent of more than two days a week to help pay for university, a survey has found. Nearly half took jobs to cover basic living costs and 45% said working had a bad effect on their studies. The survey by the National Union of Students showed that many students find the level of financial support inadequate.

A lobby group has called for the introduction of a £1 billion emergency fund to help small businesses beat the credit crunch. The Federation of Small Businesses has urged the Government to scrap their current Small Firms Loan Guarantee scheme and replace it with a new “Survival Fund” backed by money from the European Investment Bank. The group claims such a programme would act as an emergency stop-gap measure to help businesses ride out the current financial meltdown and ensure vital funds were made available to the small business community. To further ease the current pressure on small firms, the group has called for a simplified system of bidding for public sector contracts and the removal of the fee for the Supply2.gov.uk website where government contracts are advertised. They also demanded that Companies House’s powers should be increased to enable it to “name, shame and fine” large companies that didn’t pay their suppliers on time. Recent research has claimed that SMEs are owed around £30,000 by large businesses not paying promptly. Source: Federation of Small Businesses

Women still lag far behind men in top political and decision-making roles, though their access to education and health care is nearly equal. In its 2008 Global Gender Gap report, the World Economic Forum, a Swiss research organization, ranked Norway, Finland and Sweden as the countries that have the most equality of the sexes, and Saudi Arabia, Chad and Yemen as having the least. Using United Nations data, the report found that girls and women around the world had generally reached near-parity with their male peers in literacy, access to education and health and survival. But in terms of economics and politics, including relative access to executive government and corporate posts, the gap between the sexes remains large. The United States ranked 27th, above Russia (42nd), China (57th), Brazil (73rd) and India (113th). But the United States was ranked below Germany (11th), Britain (13th), France (15th), Lesotho (16th), Trinidad and Tobago (19th), South Africa (22nd), Argentina (24th) and Cuba (25th). Middle Eastern and North African countries received the lowest ratings over all. The rankings of Syria, Qatar, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia declined in 2008. The report said the inequalities in those countries were so large as to put them at an economic disadvantage. "A nation's competitiveness depends significantly on whether and how it educates and utilizes its female talent. To maximize its competitiveness and development potential, each country should strive for gender equality."

The UK Parliament needs to change, according to Harriet Harman, Leader of the House of Commons and Minister for Women and Equality, in a debate in the House of Commons on a motion to establish a Speaker's Conference, which will consider and make recommendations on how to improve representation of women, disabled, and minority ethnic people in the House of Commons, so that it better reflects society. According to the Minister, UK society has changed and the House needs to change too. Women in the British Parliament are outnumbered by men four to one. Despite the ethnically diverse nature of the UK today, out of 646 members, only 15 are Black or Asian. The Minister pointed out that, to reflect the population, the country needs more than four times more Black and Asian MPs, describing the lack of 'Black and Brown faces on our green benches' as a 'democratic deficit'. Black, Asian and Minority ethnic people make up about 10% of the population - but less than 3% of MPs in the House of Commons. Ms. Harman called for a change "More than twice as many white female MPs, more than twice as many Black, Asian and minority ethnic male MPs, more than ten times as many BAME female MPs."

New immigration rules in the UK will reduce by 200,000 jobs for migrant workers, the Government has revealed today. The Government has published the shortage occupation list following advice from the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC). Their recommended list has been adopted in full - with the addition of social workers, who will remain on the list while further evidence is considered by the MAC. The shortage occupation list sets out those jobs for which there are not enough resident workers, and will be used as part of the skilled worker tier (Tier 2) of the Australian-style points system, which will be launched on 27th November. Tier 2 of the points system will ensure that British jobseekers get the first shot at jobs and only those foreign workers the country needs will be able to come to the UK. Recent Government work to ensure British workers are skilled and competitive means that many of the previous gaps in the labour market have been filled. As a result, today's list is tighter than ever before and will see a reduction of more than 200,000 positions in occupations with shortages that need be filled by migrant workers. The number of positions available to migrants has been reduced from one million to just under 800,000. To get in under Tier 2 skilled foreign workers must meet the following conditions. They must have English language skills; prospective earnings of more than £24,000, or slightly less if they have a decent qualification - or an offer of a job on the shortage list; enough money to support themselves for the first month of their stay. In order to bring migrant workers from outside the European Economic Area to the UK, employers will be required to get a sponsor licence.

The number of employees working flexibly has risen sharply over the past four years, according to the latest CBI/Pertemps employment trends survey. The survey of 513 employers found that almost half (46%) now allow their employees to telework, up from 14% two years ago and 11% in 2004. The popularity of term-time working and job sharing has also increased dramatically. The survey also revealed that businesses were becoming more supportive of employees who took career breaks or sabbaticals. In 2009, another 4.5 million UK workers will be given the right to request flexible working when the current legislation extends from parents with children under the age of six up to 16.

UK unemployment is expected to rise by about 1.5 percentage points in 2009, half a percentage point more than the predicted EU average, according to the European Commission's latest economic forecast. The report states that employment growth is expected to turn negative as a result of falling output, dropping by 1.1 percentage points. Supply of labour is also projected to increase at a slower pace, reflecting reduced immigration. Across the EU, economic growth is expected to drop from 1.4 per cent in 2008 to 0.2 per cent. It is expected to rise again in 2010 to 1.2 per cent. The report wasn't all gloomy: inflation is expected to have peaked and will fall rapidly below 2.5 per cent in 2009 and 2.25 per cent in 2010 in the EU. PM Online

The 2008 PR Week/Barkley Cause Survey reveals that philanthropic activities reward businesses' bottom lines, even in the midst of economic constraints. In particular, the survey found that moms specifically channel their purchasing decisions toward companies that support a cause. Among the 83 million American moms, 82 percent say they drive household purchasing decisions, representing over $2.1 trillion in annual spending. The survey revealed that moms demand companies use their power for good, with 85.6% saying it's important for companies to support a cause. With regard to their purchasing decisions, 58 percent say they would pay more for a brand that supports a cause, 69.2% say they would try a brand because it supports a cause, and 76.8 percent say they would recommend a brand that supports a cause. Overall, 66 percent of moms say they have purchased a brand because it supports a cause. The survey, which also interviewed CMOs, found that companies are responding to consumer demand for cause marketing. Sixty-seven percent of companies today have a cause program. In fact, 97.3 percent of CMOs say that cause is a valid business strategy.

A free business support programme for London-based social enterprises that are led by ethnic minorities has been launched. Backed by more than £370,000 funding from Capacitybuilders, the Ready to Grow initiative will offer a number of organisations 12 days worth of intensive, one-to-one business support, along with in-depth consultancy, training and advice, and the chance to take part in a range of workshops. Run by community investment agency Olmec, in partnership with management consultants Red Ochre, the scheme is open to organisations that are black, Asian, minority ethnic, or refugee led and with more than half of the company’s directors or trustees are from a minority background. The organizations need to be based in London and intend to trade to meet social or environmental objectives. Participants on the scheme will be expected to demonstrate strategic thinking, passion, and commitment. Urging local not-for-profit ventures to register their interest in the scheme, Uday Thakkar, managing director of Red Ochre, said that the programme is open to aspiring social entrepreneurs looking to develop their ideas, as well as to established social enterprises looking for constructive advice and support to help them scale up.

New findings from the goodpurpose(TM) global study of consumer attitudes reveal that nearly seven in 10 (68%) consumers would remain loyal to a brand during a recession if it supports a good cause, and 71% say that when they think about the economic downturn, they have either given the same or more time and money to good causes. The study was released by goodpurpose(TM), a consultancy at Edelman dedicated to connecting brands and companies with consumers around a powerful, involving social purpose idea for mutual benefit. These findings, part of the second annual goodpurpose(TM) study, convey the eye-opening yet encouraging news that recent economic events have not had a negative impact on consumers' contributions to good causes. Despite the downturn, across the globe people’s sense of commitment to helping others - and to brands and companies that share that commitment - remains strong. The survey queried 6000 consumers in 10 countries and was conducted in August, September and October by StrategyOne. Around the world, consumers voice a strong desire for marketers to connect their brands to social action. Forty-two percent say that if two products are of the same quality and price, commitment to a social purpose trumps factors like design, innovation and brand loyalty when choosing one brand over the other. Half (52%) of consumers globally are more likely to recommend a brand that supports a good cause over one that does not, and 54% would help a brand promote a product if there was a good cause behind it. Around the world, a large majority of consumers, 87%, feel it is their duty to contribute to a better society and environment; 82% feel they can personally make a difference; and 83% are willing to change their own consumption habits to help make tomorrow's world a better place; these findings are statistically on par with last year’s study. Three-quarters (76%) say they like to buy brands that make a donation to worthy causes. StrategyOne conducted 6048 interviews in 10 countries between August and October 2008. The study was an online survey of consumers, nationally representative of each of the country populations.

Small businesses will benefit from up to £4 billion in loans from the European Investment Bank (EIB) over the next four years, according to the UK Chancellor of the Exchequer, Alistair Darling. Speaking at a seminar on supporting small business, the Chancellor described small firms as vital to the strength of the UK economy and that it was vital that these businesses have access to the loans and capital they need to help their businesses grow and develop. The EIB is the European Union's bank. As the UK has a 16.2 per cent shareholding in the EIB, UK small businesses should be able to benefit from around £4 billion of lending from the bank between 2008 and 2011. The EIB supports small and medium-sized enterprise investment through "SME Loans" (previously known as Global Loans), which are credit lines made available to national and regional intermediaries such as banks. They then lend on the finance as debt finance to small businesses that meet EIB criteria. Several UK institutions already take EIB loans to support their small business clients. They have now committed to discussing with the EIB the potential to draw further additional loans. Other institutions supporting small businesses that have not worked with the EIB in the past have also committed to discussing with the EIB how they can work together, and where they are commercially competitive, use EIB loans to deliver the most effective support to small businesses.

Small business entrepreneurs in the UK are chalking up more than half a billion man hours worth £1,046 billion to the UK economy every year, a study conducted for business insurer Hiscox reveals. Coined by Hiscox as the UK's 'EDP' measure – or Entrepreneurial Domestic Product – this represents every small business owner in the UK clocking up nearly 2,500 hours of work every year. Compared to an employee working a standard 37.5 hour week, small business owners work an extra 700 hours a year, or almost 2 hours every day. The significant value of the UK's EDP – where these long hours contribute a staggering 37% of UK businesses overall turnover each year - shows the enormous contribution small businesses make to the UK economy. The study shows that more than a third of small business owners put in over 50 hours a week, with 14% putting in more than 60 hours every week. Despite the long hours, running a business remains an attractive prospect, with 58% of UK small business entrepreneurs citing the desire to be their own boss as a motivating factor. The research reveals that it's not just a desire to boost their bank balance that is motivating British entrepreneurs to contribute to the country's EDP. Almost one-fifth of British small business entrepreneurs (18%) were prompted to start their own business due to redundancy while a sixth of UK entrepreneurs cited a desire to turn their back on the traditional, corporate world as a key factor in their decision to start their own business. 21% have turned their hand to running their own business, as they had a great idea that they wanted to bring to life. More than two thirds set up within a year of having that 'light-bulb moment.' A third set up out of confidence that they can make more money as their own boss.

A groundbreaking new £25 million equity fund for women-led businesses has been launched. The Aspire Investment Fund – said to be the first of its kind in the UK – will offer women who own businesses or who have entrepreneurial ideas the chance to secure financial support. Half of the budget has been stumped up by the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR), with private sector contributions set to provide the remaining £12.5 million. The scheme will be targeted at high growth businesses seeking an investment ranging between £100,000 and £2 million in order for the venture to develop. Business Minister Shriti Vadera, who launched the Aspire Investment Fund, cited the fact that there are 20% more people in enterprise in the US than in Britain, and the majority of that gap is made up of women. Getting more women entrepreneurs is an economic issue, she said, not just an equality issue. If the UK was to match US levels of women’s enterprise, there would be 900,000 new businesses in the UK. Overall responsibility for administrating the scheme has been allocated to Capital for Enterprise Limited, BERR’s equity capital scheme managers, but funding will be accessed through the Business Link service. Applicants will be offered support and assistance from a range of professional advisors to ensure their ideas are "investment ready".

An annual competition that shines the spotlight on the UK’s best young business brains has reopened to entries. The Daily Mail Enterprising Young Brits Awards 2009 offers £1,000 first prizes in five separate categories for entrepreneurs aged under 30 who have turned great business ideas into reality. Held as part of the Make Your Mark initiative, which is aiming to promote a culture of enterprise, the awards to be made include Business Entrepreneur – for the most enterprising individual who has set up their own business, no matter how large or small. Social and Community – for ventures that combine the principles of a successful business with an emphasis on providing social and environmental benefits. Teen – for the 13-19 year-old who has made entrepreneurial ideas happen. Creative – for the individuals, businesses and projects that have shown creative flair or are focused on the creative industry. Going Global – for businesses that are having success in both the UK and abroad. The closing date for entering the 2009 Awards has been set for 27 February 2009. For more information about the Awards and to find out how to enter, visit the Make Your Mark website

Mayor of London Boris Johnson has officially launched a social enterprise founded by Tim Campbell, winner of hit TV series The Apprentice. The Bright Ideas Trust will offer young entrepreneurs in London the advice and financial support they need to help them set up and run their own successful businesses. Backed by a number of major investors, including £600,000 from the Bank of America, the scheme will provide 16-30 year-olds with their own business mentor, a specialist network of business support, and equity investment of up to £25,000 to get their ideas off the ground. Mr Campbell, who became Sir Alan Sugar's first Apprentice, hopes the initiative will encourage people from all backgrounds to take an interest in business and enterprise. According to the Mayor, small and medium sized businesses make up 80% of London's economy and this is a chance for people to start them up.

The American Friends of the Phelophepa Train has honoured the Most Reverend Desmond N. Tutu and his wife, Leah Nomalizo Tutu for their commitment to advancing health care for the poor in South Africa and for their patronage of the American Friends of the Phelophepa Train. Robert W. Lane, Chairman and CEO of Deere & Company and Steve Killelea, Founder & President, Global Peace Index, and Chairman & Founder Integrated Research Ltd. were also honored for their outstanding contributions to South Africa. The Phelophepa Health Train, or Train of Hope, is a mobile medical unit that crisscrosses remote areas of South Africa by rail throughout the year. It has been in continuous operation since 1994 providing primary health, dental, optometry and counseling to patients living in remote rural areas. The American Friends of the Phelophepa Train is a registered 501c3 charity and is the US-based fundraising arm for the train whose mission is to provide American individuals, foundations and corporations with opportunities to contribute.

Bridges Ventures, a fund management company with a social mission, chaired by Sir Ronald Cohen, has launched a new fund dedicated to investment in social enterprises. The fund, which is an initiative of the Bridges Charitable Trust, has so far raised £4.25m from investors who include Sir Ronald Cohen, Nigel Doughty, Harvey McGrath, the Apax Foundation, the Generation Foundation, Lehman Brothers Foundation Europe, Deutsche Bank and 3i. NESTA- the National Foundation for Enterprise, Science and the Arts- is a partner in the venture, which is to be called the Bridges Social Entrepreneurs Fund. The new fund will work closely with UnLtd, the Foundation for Social Entrepreneurs, to ensure that the social entrepreneurs seeking funding are investment ready.

According to research undertaken by the Financial Times, two out of three jobs created since 1998 have been in parts of the economy dominated by the public sector. The dominance of the public sector has been so pronounced that in some areas, such as the west and east Midlands, the number of people employed in the private sector actually fell between 1998 and 2006. The FT's findings, based on unpublished official figures, show that the private sector has been less dynamic than thought, suggesting that it may be worse equipped to weather the recession than ministers had hoped. That may raise fears of rising unemployment, especially since the most dynamic private sector areas of financial and business services have started to shed employees. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) collects data on public sector employment in three surveys-the Labour Force Survey, the Annual Business Inquiry and the Public Sector Employment survey- with each dataset giving a different picture of each sector's growth. The ONS's preferred measure of public sector employment shows the lowest growth rate but its method excludes workers such as general practitioners, agency supply teachers in state schools and university lecturers, whose salaries are usually entirely funded by taxpayers. The official figures suggest that the increase in public sector workers since 1998 has been 600,000, but when employees are asked to classify themselves, the increase goes up to 900,000.

The Local Government Association (LGA) has warned that workers in London and the south-east are likely to be the worst hit by the recession, with one in 12 jobs being cut in the next 18 months. The LGA report, which was compiled by Pacec, says that the capital is expected to be worst hit because of its dependence on the financial sector, where banks are expected to shed tens of thousands more jobs. Many construction firms, already hard hit by the housing downturn, are also based in and around London. Manufacturing districts in the North and the west Midlands, such as Hull, Bradford, Coventry and Birmingham, are also likely to be badly hit. However, some areas in the south-west and East Anglia, with big farming communities, will fare much better in relative terms, with only one in 30 posts projected to go by 2010. There was also a glimmer of hope for those living in the M4 corridor, Stoke-on-Trent and the areas around Newcastle, where roughly one in 20 posts would be lost. Pacec analysed data from the previous two recessions and the growth performance of areas in the past two years, which it said is critical in predicting job losses. It also looked at the breakdown of the commercial, public and industrial sector in each region to see which posts were most vulnerable. Although it argues that it is impossible to predict the impact of the recession on job sectors alone it does claim that anyone employed in business services, defence and public administration or the transport and service sectors may also be protected, with some job increases even being predicted.

The Association of Colleges say that research they have commissioned from YouGov shows that millions of adults are going back to college to retrain in an effort to survive the credit crunch. Those made redundant or who fear for the future of their jobs are at the forefront of the drive to upgrade skills. A fifth of adults intend to gain further qualifications in the coming year and a third of those want to do because of the economic downturn. Some colleges already report increased enrolments.

The French government has announced that it is banking on the €15bn domestic sector in the fight against unemployment. Laureant Wauquiez, the employment minister, speaking at the opening of a trade fairing Paris said that fiscal incentives would help 130,000 people to find work as cleaners, gardeners, nannies, home-helps and other similar services - a third of all jobs created this year. Domestic services firms such as Axeo (part of Lyonniase des Eaux France) and O2 provide domestic employees ranging from DIY experts to cooks available to families, who can deduct the costs from their taxes.

From January 2009, Black History Studies will be running a series of long and short term courses in North and South London. Amongst other topics, the courses will cover the Introduction to the study of Black History, Politics, Sociology, Psychology, Science, Art and Religion. The 30 week course – Introduction to Black Studies – will analyse all the major areas of the Black Experience – the History, the Politics, the Psychology, the Science & Technology, the Arts, and finally, the Religion. All of the information is selected to be of relevance and interest to the Black Community. The information itself is designed to inspire, challenge, and to provoke serious thought. The course is a highly accessible 30 week programme but it is also rigorous and content laden. It assumes no prior knowledge of the subject areas, but the adult student is taken through an avalanche of information. Reading lists and course materials are provided.

The biggest gender pay gap is in the consulting sector, according to a new piece of research. Men working as consultants earn, on average, 35 per cent more than women in the same roles, the survey from executive jobs website Experteer showed. The second most gender-biased sectors are finance and IT, where men are paid 20 per cent more than their female peers. The survey of 2,400 people earning more than £50,000 also showed that the retail sector has a lower level of pay inequality – a gap of 11 per cent. But the sectors showing the most pay equality are the public and charity sectors, where the gap is 6 per cent. Stricter equalities and human rights policy with the public and charity sectors are thought to help minimise the pay gap.
Source: PM Online

Entries are now open for the 2009 UK Enterprise Awards - aimed at individuals and organisations that provide support to entrepreneurs and small businesses. The Awards will be presented on Thursday 16th April 2009. In a year which has proved particularly challenging, the role of the advisers, coaches, mentors and others who encourage and support small businesses has never been more critical, according to SFEDI, the small business watchdog and standards setting body. It hosts the Awards on behalf of its Advisory Board of which most of the key small business associations and organisations in the UK are members. The awards showcase the individuals, organisations, products and services which have done most to help start ups, the self-employed and small business owners during 2008. Categories include awards for professional advisers, such as accountants, through to volunteer business mentors. There is also an award for the business owner or entrepreneur who has done most to support other small and home business owners.