Black Inclusion Week with Programme One and The Aleto Foundation

On Wednesday 10th March, we welcomed Atta Gyedu from Programme One and Emmanuel Ayoola from the Aleto Foundation for a barstool (internal event series) in light of Black Inclusion Week. 

What is Black Inclusion Week?

Black Inclusion Week was launched by Black Leaders, a community of Black professionals looking to make positive and sustainable change. Their CEO Paul Sesay stated it’s a reminder of the importance of “embedding a fair and just society for all”.

The week is an opportunity for organisations to show their commitment to Black Inclusion and work towards a more inclusive culture. They do this by amplifying the voices of Black people across the UK and facilitating action towards Black inclusion through education and awareness. 

Programme One and the Aleto Foundation 

Programme One is an organisation that aims to address the underrepresentation of Black talent within the recruitment industry. deverellsmith was one of the first organisations to join when they began, and they now have 12 partner companies sharing the same mission to remove the inequalities which are restricting and inhibiting the engagement of Black talent in the sector. 

One way we are doing this is through partnering with the Aleto Foundation. The Aleto Foundation was created to provide significant lifetime opportunities for young people with high potential. They aim to create a world where your income or ethnic background doesn’t stop you from reaching the highest leadership positions, and they do this by matching early career staff of black heritage (mentees) with senior leaders (mentors) in their exceptional mentoring scheme. 

Why mentoring?

Mentorship can be a powerful tool for both personal and professional development. A mentor offers someone that is in the early stages of their career guidance and advice, sharing experience within their chosen sector, as well as the skills and the confidence to take hold of opportunities to help them climb the career ladder. 

The mentor will also see the benefits of mentoring, as they too can develop new skills, gain fresh perspectives, and expand their network. 

The Aleto Foundation’s mentoring scheme matches mentees of Black heritage, with mentors of senior positions within the recruitment industry. One of the core aims is to retain the mentees within the industry, giving them the support they need to thrive in their careers. The Aleto Foundation found that the retention rate of a mentee is 72% compared to 49% of employees who do not participate. 

The programme also helps mentors gain insight into the perspective of Black people in the workplace and understand how they as leaders can work towards creating more inclusive workplaces.

Click here if you would like to join Programme One.