Who we are
The Ethnic Minority Advisory Group (EMAG) provides advice to Government on issues related to the disadvantage individuals from ethnic minority backgrounds face in relation to the labour market.
Overall, people from ethnic minority backgrounds are less likely to find and sustain employment than their white counterparts – and this disadvantage has persisted for more than two decades.
EMAG is an independent body whose main focus is to help reduce the gap between the ethnic minority employment rate and the employment rate for the working age population as a whole. While EMAG are supported by the Department for Work and Pensions, their role is to advise all Government departments whose policies impact on labour market performance. They:
- act as a "critical friend": identifying problems facing ethnic minority jobseekers and employees, gaps in provision, and other areas of concern that Government may need to address
- respond to Government consultations in order to ensure that policy developments adequately reflect the ethnic minority employment agenda
- advise on the practical implications of delivering policy and how improvements can be made.
Initially formed as the Ethnic Minority Stakeholder Group in 2003 to give the ethnic minority voluntary sector a voice in Government, the Group changed its name to EMAG in 2006. EMAG refreshed its membership in 2010. EMAG members are volunteers from a range of backgrounds and regions across Great Britain. Membership is by application and vacancies are advertised on this website. New members are appointed by the Chair in consultation with the Department for Work and Pensions.