A round-up of recent news from the UK and overseas, including:

Employers Discriminate against Foreign-sounding Names

People with foreign-sounding names face discrimination from employers, covert UK government research has found.

News from the UK and around the world

Subsidy Scheme to Recruit Redundant Construction Apprentices

UK construction companies are being urged to take advantage of a subsidy scheme to help them recruit redundant apprentices. The Homes and Communities Agency has joined forces with Construction Skills to promote the sector skills council's Apprenticeship Matching Service. The scheme, which secured £1 million funding from the Government's National Apprenticeship Service, can offer grants worth £1,000 to help firms hire a redundant apprentice, enabling them to complete their training. Funding is available for companies looking to recruit an unemployed apprentice who is in the last 12 months of their training. Construction firms who are struggling to keep their own apprentices in work are also eligible to apply.

Training Fund for a Winning Welsh Workforce

The Welsh Assembly Government has launched a new £37 million training scheme for managers and team leaders. Provided as part of the Workforce Development Programme, companies can claim subsidies for their staff to take part in a series of Leadership and Management Development Workshops. Training is available in three levels – team leaders, middle managers and senior managers. SMEs can claim funding to cover up to 70% of the course costs, with larger companies eligible for a 50% subsidy. It is thought the initiative, which is backed by £16 million of European Social Fund investment, will train up to 18,000 staff from around 5,000 businesses over the next five years.

One in three Workers 'demotivated by pay freezes'

More than a third of employees affected by pay freezes or changes to their contracts during the recession have felt demotivated as a result, according to new research. A PricewaterhouseCoopers poll of more than 700 workers who had experienced these measures found that 34 per cent felt "demotivated" while 8 per cent felt "angry". Nearly half (49 per cent) of the respondents acknowledged that their employers' actions were necessary in order to stay in business – 3 per cent even claimed to feel more motivated because such moves meant that their employers were acting decisively. PwC's recent report, "Managing tomorrow's people", predicts that many once-powerful employer brands will be unable to attract the most talented people over the next decade as a result of the poor HR decisions they have made during the recession.

The 12th Annual L'OREAL-UNESCO Awards For Women in Science Honors Egyptian Women Scientist

The L’Oreal-UNESCO for Women in Science partnership today announced the five exceptional women scientists who will receive the 2010 L'OREAL-UNESCO Awards in the Life Sciences. An international network of nearly 1,000 scientists nominates the candidates for the awards and the five Laureates are then selected at a meeting of the jury, presided over by Professor Gunter Blobel, Nobel Prize in Medicine 1999. Included in the 2010 For Women in Science Laureates recognized for their scientific contributions is Rashika El Ridi (Africa & the Arab States): Professor at Cairo University in Egypt, for paving the way towards the development of a vaccine against the tropical disease Schistomiasis/Bilharzia. The awards ceremony honoring the Laureates will take place on March 4, 2010 at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris. Each Laureate will receive US $100,000 in recognition of her contribution to the advancement of science. The 2010 Laureates join an esteemed group of women researchers, including two 2008 L'OREAL-UNESCO Award For Women in Science recipients, Dr. Elizabeth Blackburn and Dr. Ada Yonath, who were recently named to receive the Nobel Prizes in Medicine and Chemistry respectively.

New Voluntary Sector Jobs Fund Announced For Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland Employment and Learning Minister Sir Reg Empey has revealed a new fund that will create up to 1,000 voluntary sector jobs. The initiative is called "Step Ahead" and is part of the Department of Employment and Learning’s "Steps to Work" programme. The scheme is aimed at people who have been receiving benefits and been out of work for 30 months or more. The new jobs will last for six months and may benefit up to 4,000 long term unemployed over two years.The Step Ahead initiative is expected to cost £4 million and will be funded by the Department of Employment and Learning. It is anticipated that the initiative will last up to two years or until the economy shows signs of recovery.

Scottish Government Announces Third Sector Resilience Fund

New £1.7 million fund set to help Scottish third sector through the recession. Finance Secretary John Swinney has encouraged third sector organisations to apply to the Resilience Fund, a scheme being offered as part of the £12 million Third Sector Enterprise Fund. The fund will go some way towards helping to support voluntary organisations providing frontline services for the most vulnerable and hard to reach members of society and organisations seeking information on the fund should contact Mary Lyden on (0141) 305 4176 or Polly Chapman on (01463) 663918.

World Cocoa Foundation Announces Launch of Cocoa Livelihoods Program in Ghana

The World Cocoa Foundation has announced the launch of the Cocoa Livelihoods Program (CLP) in Ghana. The program, first announced in February 2009, is funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and 12 chocolate industry companies and is expected to significantly improve the livelihoods of nearly 60,000 cocoa farmers in Ghana over the next five years. The work in Ghana is part of a larger, five country program targeting 200,000 cocoa-growing households across Ghana, Côte d'Ivoire, Nigeria, Cameroon and Liberia. Activities in Ghana will focus on improving production and quality at the farm level, equipping farmers with business skills, promoting diversification of income, and improving access to inputs and support services. In Ghana, 21 districts in the Ashanti, Eastern, Brong-Ahafo, Western and Central Regions will benefit from the program. Accra will serve as the headquarters for the program. The Cocoa Livelihoods Program is managed by the World Cocoa Foundation and implemented through a consortium of five organizations. Funding for the program comes from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the private sector: major branded manufacturers, cocoa processors and supply chain managers and allied industries. Additional support is provided by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). Each country government has a representative on the Steering Committee.

Two-Thirds of American New Media Users Feel They Can Influence Business Practices by Voicing Opinions Online

Forty-four percent of American new media users are searching for, sharing or discussing information about corporate responsibility (CR) efforts and programs and are highly confident they can have an effect on business, according to the 2009 Cone Consumer New Media Study. Sixty-two percent of users polled believe they can influence business decisions by voicing opinions via new media channels. About a quarter have contributed their point-of-view on an issue (24%) or contacted a company directly (23%). A full 74 percent expect companies to join conversations about their corporate responsibility practices happening on new media. Of, new media users: 30 percent have made a purchase based on positive information learned about a product, company or brand; and 23 percent have switched brands or boycotted a company based on negative information learned about a product, company or brand. Consumers are relying largely on Web 1.0 channels such as Web sites (27%) and email (22%) to explore CR, indicating channels that foster a dialogue and deeper engagement - such as social networks (15%) and blogs (11%) - are being underutilized.

UK Employers Discriminate against Foreign-sounding Names

People with foreign-sounding names face discrimination from UK employers, covert government research has found. Researchers working for the Department for Work and Pensions said that people with African and Asian names had to apply for 16 jobs before getting an interview. But applicants with 'white' names only had to apply for nine jobs before getting an interview. Nearly 3,000 job applications with false identities were sent out to assess levels of employer discrimination against people with foreign names. CVs used names from three different communities: Nazia Mahmood, Mariam Namagembe and Alison Taylor. The applications were created with similar experience and qualifications and every false applicant had a British education and work history. A total of 2,961 CVs were sent to private, public and voluntary sector employers of varying sizes. The results showed that public sector vacancies, which usually use standard application forms, did not discriminate at the initial recruitment stage. This suggests that discrimination might be reduced by the use of standard application forms.

Disney and Microsoft Top List of 50 U.S. Companies Recognized as Leaders in Corporate Social Responsibility

Companies in the financial sector tumbled to the bottom of the Boston College-Reputation Institute 2009 CSR Index while top consumer brands perceived to be strong in the area of ethics, citizenship and workplace practices dominate the top 50, with Disney and Microsoft at the top. The Boston College Center for Corporate Citizenship and Reputation Institute index shows the Walt Disney Company in the top position followed by Microsoft, Google, Honda of America, Johnson & Johnson, PepsiCo. General Mills, Kraft Foods, Campbell Soup Company and FedEx, rounding out the top 10. The CSR Index is created using data collected for Reputation Institute's 2009 Global Reputation Pulse Study. Researchers use a subset of survey results that focus on more than 200 companies with a dominant presence in the United States and believed to have a reasonably high recognition factor with the general public. The data captures public perception about a company's corporate citizenship, governance and workplace practices in the United States.

Tesco invests £3 million in Leadership Academy

Tesco is to invest £3 million in its leadership academy as it seeks to ensure it has the skills to expand globally. According to the company, the funding will be used to plug a perceived gap in developing senior staff. The flagship course, called the Advanced Leadership Programme, started in the past 12 months and aims to prepare individuals for director roles. It offers exposure to the board in the form of sponsorship and mentoring, offers international sessions in Asia and Europe and global networking. The programme also targets people with the potential to be future chief executives through the senior executive syllabus, an 18-month programme. The academy's programmes were designed with business schools such as Ashridge and Insead.

Employment Evening Tribunals to be held to Clear Backlog of Cases

The employment tribunals service is to pilot evening sittings as part of an effort to clear the backlog of tribunal cases, it has been revealed. Two regions, Cardiff and London East, are to trial holding additional tribunal hearings between 6 and 8pm. If the experiment is judged a success then other regions could adopt the same measures early next year. The evening sessions will concentrate on simpler cases which would be expected to be resolved in less than an hour, it is understood. The system is still trying to cope with the large number of equal pay claims in the public sector. The most recent statistics showed that 151,000 claims were lodged in 2008/9, down from 189,300 in the previous year but still at a historically high level. There was also a 15 per cent increase in cases brought by individuals as opposed to groups of employees.

Simmons School of Management Named One of Top 20 Socially Responsible MBA Programs in the World

The Simmons College School of Management in Boston has been ranked No. 15 in the "Global 100" list of business schools by the Aspen Institute in its 2010-2011 MBA ranking, "Beyond Grey Pinstripes." A total of 149 business schools from 24 countries participated in the 2010-2011 Aspen Institute ranking. The biennial survey ranks business schools that have demonstrated significant leadership in preparing MBA students for the social, environmental and ethical complexities of modern-day business. The Aspen Institute is considered the premier resource on socially responsible business education in the world. The Simmons College School of Management is the first business school in the world designed specifically to educate women for power and principled leadership, and the only school of its kind accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB).

For Second Consecutive Year, Campbell Ranks Among US Leaders on List of Most Socially Responsible Companies in the U.S.

Campbell Soup Company earned a Reputation Pulse score of 83.33 on a scale of 1 to 100 to place second behind Johnson & Johnson, according to the Reputation Institute and the Boston College Center for Corporate Citizenship, in a survey of Americans to determine which companies have earned the strongest levels of trust, admiration, respect and good feeling. Campbell also ranked second in last year's survey. In a related review of over 200 company CSR programs, Campbell ranked 9th with a rating of 75.26, placing the company in the Excellent/Top Tier of all companies surveyed. Scores were based upon workplace, citizenship and governance statements. Campbell was ranked 2nd in the 2008 rankings behind Google. The Walt Disney Company topped this year's ranking. Reputation Institute has been measuring corporate reputations rigorously since 1999. The ranking was created using data principally collected for Reputation Institute's 2009 Global Pulse Study. In creating the CSRI, the researchers used a subset of survey results that focused on more than 200 companies with a dominant presence in the United States and believed to have a reasonably high recognition factor with the general public. The data used focused on the public's perception about a company's corporate citizenship, governance and workplace practices.

Grameen Foundation Expands Technology Program for Poor Farmers in Uganda

The Grameen Foundation has announced that it will expand its Community Knowledge Worker (CKW) initiative in Uganda, supported by a $4.7 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The initiative is building a self-sustaining, scalable network of rural information providers who use cell phones to help close critical information gaps facing poor, smallholder farmers. They will strengthen the information link to poor farmers by disseminating and collecting relevant information in these underserved communities. Agriculture is the main source of livelihood for more than 75 percent of Ugandans. Working closely with and complementing existing government agriculture programs, CKWs are trusted local intermediaries serving farmers who frequently lack basic access to up-to-date information on best farming practices, market conditions, pest and disease control, weather forecasts and a range of other issues. The CKW model is designed to improve farmers' lives by enabling them to get the information they need to improve yields and have broader access to lucrative markets. Upon request from a farmer, a CKW will use his or her cell phone to access actionable information to meet farmer needs. In addition, CKWs collect agricultural information from farmers, providing a vital link between farmers, government programs, non-governmental organizations and other entities focused on improving agriculture in Uganda and beyond. While farmers sometimes have access to a cell phone, this service will greatly expands its availability and also connect farmers to trained professionals tasked with sharing knowledge and information with them. The CKW initiative advances Grameen Foundation's efforts to develop innovative and sustainable approaches to use technology for the benefit of the world's poor. It also leverages the extensive knowledge and expertise from its successful Application Laboratory (AppLab) Program in Uganda (www.applab.org). The Community Knowledge Worker initiative is part of the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Innovation program which is directed by Grameen Foundation's Grameen Technology Center in Seattle.

IMM Africa Association of Marketers Launched

In reinstating the concept of the original Institute of Marketing, the IMM Africa Association of Marketers has been launched - a body that will embrace marketers and organisations across the continent and provide outstanding benefits to a membership base that wishes to align itself with the ideals of a new and dynamic marketing association. Although the IMM, which was founded in 1960, ceased functioning as an institute in 2002, over time, there has been a strong demand for many of the services previously provided. Amongst the aims of the newly formed Association are to assist the marketing community to anticipate, manage and embrace the exciting changes taking place in the business and social environment, to encourage ongoing educational and professional development amongst marketers, to create forums for networking and to recognise outstanding marketing achievement, amongst other cost-effective, value added benefits. The membership base will include marketing graduates and students, individuals within the marketing community, as well as companies, ranging from SMEs to large corporates, with pro rata employee memberships and preferential rates for the benefits offered.

New National Youth Leadership Fund Announced

The Reaching Out scheme is for third sector organisations wishing to build their capacity and create youth leadership opportunities across England. There will be eight grants distributed from the £500,000 funding pot, ranging from £10,000 to £50,000. The aim of The Youth of Today Leadership scheme is to address gaps in the provision of leadership opportunities for young people and to counter the key challenges faced, including the over subscription to current schemes and the lack of access to funds and opportunities. This strand will support the existing Scaling Up scheme from The Youth of Today Leadership Fund. This programme is aimed at local voluntary sector groups and will support innovative projects that increase the number and quality of youth leadership opportunities available to marginalised groups. The scheme will distribute £500,000 in approximately 30 grants, ranging from £5,000 to £20,000.

Start-Up Scheme for Disabled Entrepreneurs Celebrates "Astounding Success"

A £3 million support scheme has helped more than 700 disabled entrepreneurs start their own business. Ready to Start, a three-year programme sponsored by Barclays and run by disability charity Leonard Cheshire Disability, has enabled 735 disabled people to launch their own venture. A further 235 individuals across England and South Wales were given help to find a job, progress into further education, or volunteer. The scheme offered disabled entrepreneurs a comprehensive package of support to help them turn their business ideas into reality. Along with advice and mentoring, participants also received free computer equipment and software. Not only has Ready to Start enabled so many disabled people to start their own business, the initiative has also proved itself to be excellent value for money. The figures show Ready to Start has been both socially and economically a very valuable return on investment. It is thought the initiative has managed to save up to £3.5 million in benefit claims.

UK Recruitment Market 'on road to recovery'

The UK jobs market is "on the road to recovery", according to a recruitment industry report, which has found a rise in demand for workers for the third consecutive month. The report, from the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) and KPMG, found that this higher demand had driven a faster pace in staff appointments for October. REC's job vacancies index is based on month-by-month information from recruiters about how many job placements are made as well as other indicators. This data showed a sharp rise for both permanent and temporary placements in October, the best monthly result for 16 months. For both types of placement, it was nursing, medical and care workers that were in the highest demand. Recruiters also said there had been a slower decline in salaries for both types of roles in October. Candidates available to fill vacancies continued to increase in October, which in many cases was linked to redundancies. Despite this, staff availability had in fact slowed to its lowest rate in 15 months.

Poor Mental Health 'hitting work performance'

Employers must be more proactive in managing poor mental health to protect productivity, according to “compelling evidence” from a CIPD survey. The survey, of more than 2,000 workers, found that one in four UK workers described their mental health as moderate or poor, while more than 90 per cent of those suffering from poor mental health said it affected their job performance. Mental health problems such as such as stress, anxiety and depression are expected to rise as a result of the economic downturn. In March this year, the government promised an extra £13 million of funding for therapy services in England to identify people suffering from depression due to the downturn. This is worrying for employers since almost all people with mental health problems (98 per cent) continue to attend work regularly. More than half of the same group (56 per cent) said they had taken time off sick. The survey highlights the need for employers to focus more effort on managing this issue, as only 37 per cent of respondents said their organisation gives good support in this area. Other key findings included: 78 per cent of respondents with poor mental health found it difficult to concentrate at work; 57 per cent said it takes them longer to do work; half of respondents said that they put off challenging tasks as a result of working with poor mental health; 46 per cent said they are less patient with customers and clients; 41 per cent think poor mental health interferes with their ability to make decisions; and 36 per cent believe they are more likely to get into conflict with colleagues.

Adler Diaspora Awards Recognises African Diaspora Achievers

Started in 2005 as an award to acknowledge the accomplishments of Africans in the Diaspora and Africa, this year’s award event will be taking place on 5th December 2009 at the Bristol Hotel, Adenauerallee 9, 53113 Bonn, Germany. The ADLER Entrepreneurship Award is presented to Africans and people of African descent that show the greatest promise of contribution to human well-being, through the creation and application of their activities, intellect and knowledge and also identifies people who are contributing towards the development of their communities. The award also deems to encourage and support these citizens in their efforts and to showcase their impact on their communities on the local and national level. In cooperation with the JANERO Consultancy GmbH, the African Youth Foundation (AYF) working on the ADLER Entrepreneurship Awards platform which is serving as a forum for collaboration among Entrepreneurs, and between Entrepreneurs and third parties with interest, leading to the realization of creative ideas for businesses and investments in both Africa and Europe. Information about personalities nominated for the 2009 Awards is available on our website at: www.ayf.de/documents/documents.html

Cadbury Delivers 5,000 Bicycles to Ghana, Africa

Cadbury Canada announced the delivery of 5,000 bikes to children in Ghana, Africa as part of its innovative consumer promotion called The Bicycle Factory. The bikes will reach more than 200 communities in central and southern Ghana and will provide access to education to thousands of kids who would normally be at risk of not going to school. In addition to providing kids with a reliable form of transportation to get to school, the bikes will also provide each community with access to water sources and medical care. Many of the 216 communities are part of the Cadbury Cocoa Partnership, a ground-breaking program established in 2008 to help the social, economic and environmental sustainability of approximately 1 million cocoa farms. Cadbury worked closely with World Vision Ghana, Care, the Voluntary Services Organization and the Bicycling Empowerment Network Namibia to ensure the effective distribution of the bicycles. With the need for bikes great in all regions, the team identified the children most at risk were those that walked a minimum of 3 km to school each day. The bikes are also specially designed for the African terrain. They are equipped with a single gear and mud guards, have a basket for carrying books, and have a sturdy carrier to also help carry little brothers and sisters to school. The 5,000 bikes will be delivered to the specified regions over the next four weeks with the help of the Bicycling Empowerment Network Namibia. With each delivery Cadbury is also investing in bike-building and training sessions for key individuals in each community.

UN General Assembly declares July 18 Nelson Mandela International Day

The Nelson Mandela Foundation and its sister charities are pleased with the United Nations General Assembly’s declaration of July 18, Nelson Mandela's birthday, as "Nelson Mandela International Day", an international day of activism. The resolution was unanimously adopted with the support of all UN member states and co-sponsorship of over 165 members, from all regions of the world. This represents the overwhelming support of the entire international community in honouring Mr. Mandela. Mandela Day is an annual international day of humanitarian action in celebration of Mr. Mandela’s life and legacy. It serves as a catalyst for each and every person to realise that they have the ability to change the world through action. Mandela Day is particularly geared towards people doing work in their communities and is not event-driven. It is not a holiday.

'Right to request training' bill set to receive Royal Assent

The bill offering employees the right to request time off for training is set to receive Royal Assent. Once it becomes law, the apprenticeships, skills, children and learning bill will empower members of staff to make formal requests to their bosses in the same way that they currently do for flexible working. Employees will be able to request time to undertake accredited programmes leading to a qualification or unaccredited training to help them develop a specific skill relevant to their job. Employers must give serious consideration to each request they receive. However, they are under no obligation to grant a request if there is a good business reason not to do so. Neither are they obliged to pay an employee’s salary while they are undertaking training or required to organise or pay for the training. The new right will apply to businesses with 250 employees or more from April 2010, and will be extended to all businesses from April 2011. Employers will be able to access detailed guidance in January through Business Link.

City HR Job Vacancies reach Highest level in a Year

Demand for HR professionals in the banking sector has picked up but salary levels have dropped significantly, according to recruitment experts. HR job vacancies in the City have reached their highest level of the year, research by the financial services recruitment agency Joslin Rowe found. Over the past six months the number of permanent HR jobs rose by 4 per cent while temporary roles jumped by 63 per cent. Demand for compensation and benefits professionals was particularly high. But HR salary levels in the sector have fallen, with average earnings among permanent staff dropping by 14 per cent between March and September. The drop in earnings for temporary employees was far less, at only 1.2 per cent.

New Business Tool for Social Enterprises Launched

The RBS SE100 index has been launched to measure the impact of social businesses. The index has been created jointly by Social Enterprise magazine and the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) and is designed to measure the growth and impact of a range of organisations working to affect social, environmental and economic change. Charities, housing associations, co-operatives, social firms, community enterprises and ethical businesses are all eligible for inclusion. The index will use data from key growth markets to identify and publish the top five organisations in a new market each month and will produce a top 100 at the end of the year. Awards of up to £50,000 will be distributed in March 2010 along with a full list of the index's data. The index is accessible 24 hours a day and entries and nominations may be made at any time.