EA latest target in positive discrimination r

The Environment Agency is facing stiff opposition to a new training scheme that is not open to white English applicants.

Campaigners are now planning to appeal to the Commission for Racial Equality (CRE) to block the £13,000 a year positive discrimination initiative, according to Personnel Today.

An 18-year-old science student, Abigail Howarth, told the Daily Mail that she was told by a recruitment agency that there was no point in her applying for the training programme on the grounds that she is both white and English.

The flood management training scheme does appear to be open to white Irish, Welsh or Scottish applicants, with adverts calling for applicants from ethnic backgrounds such as 'Asian, Indian', 'African' or 'White Other'.

"I know why there are positive action training schemes to assist those who are genuinely discriminated against but when it's broken down to this level it seems crazy to me," Ms Howarth said.

Under section 37 of the Race Relations Act, companies are allowed to exercise positive discrimination for training posts in order to boost representation of ethnic groups.

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Date:07/08/2007 11:42:27