Race and Ethnicity

Support at Aston

The Students’ Union has a BAME Officer on the Student Leadership Team – they are in post to represent all Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic students at Aston and ensure your university experience is the best it can possibly be. You can contact them by email.

There are a range of cultural societies here at Aston, including Afro Caribbean Society, Aston Bangladeshi Society, Aston Filipino Society and more. Take a look at the full list of student-led societies and get all the details on how to join. 

Aston offers free help and advice for international students. If you need information about working and living in the UK or have any questions about visas, our international student advisers should be your first port of call. 

Listening Ear is a pastoral support drop-in service based on campus. It offers the following support for students, regardless of religious affiliation: confidential, non-judgemental listening; help in times of distress; signposting to specialist sources of help (including faith contacts if you wish).

There are a variety of mentoring schemes available at Aston which are designed to enable students, alumni and professionals alike to have the opportunity to support the Aston student community, develop skills, expand networks and share experiences. You will have the opportunity to engage in mentoring activities at every stage of your learning journey.

Useful resources

The following organisations and resources can offer further support and advice:

Equality and Human Rights Commission: race discrimination - Find out more about the Equality Act and what it says about race discrimination. 

TARGETjobs: equality and diversity issues, and your graduate job hunt - You can find advice on a range of key equality and diversity issues in this article. They look at your rights during the recruitment process, disclosing information to your employers and more. 

Blueprint for all - They work with young people and communities to create an inclusive society in which everyone, regardless of their race, ethnicity or background can thrive. They support young people in the early stages of their career by working with employers to connect young people with mentors, internships and work experience.

Blog post by an Aston graduate - Shanique Clarke, who graduated from Aston in 2020, wrote this insightful blog post about finding careers inspiration as a Black woman.

Inclusive Top 50 UK Employers - This is a definitive list of UK-based organisations that promote inclusion across all protected characteristics, throughout each level of employment within their organisation.

Out The Box - A hub that exists to equip young, Black, creative, entrepreneurial talent with the opportunities and connections they need through virtual events and workshops, and industry opportunities.

Totaljobs Guides - If you’ve got questions about work equality, take a look at these expert guides from Totaljobs which cover topics such as how to ask for a pay rise, gender transitioning in the workplace, what it’s like to be deaf in the workplace and more. 

Opportunities and events

There are a range of programmes, initiatives and events which are designed specifically for students and graduates from ethnic minority backgrounds. Some of these open up or take place at various points throughout the year. We’ve listed some below, as well as a selection of inclusive jobs portals which you could use to look for opportunities:

Creative Access
This organisation supports talented people from groups that are under-represented in terms of ethnicity, socio-economic background and disability to secure paid training opportunities in creative companies and also thrive when they get in.

DESIblitz jobs
DESIblitz is a multi award-winning British Asian web publication. Their jobs board advertises roles with employers who are looking for candidates from diverse backgrounds.

SEO London
They prepare talented students from ethnic minority or low socio-economic backgrounds for career success. They run a range of programmes that are led by industry professionals.

TARGETjobs
TARGETjobs have created a series of events to give students the advice, confidence and contacts they need to secure their dream career, such as Aspire – an event for students from a Black heritage background. They also run the annual Undergraduate of the Year Awards which has a category for the Black Heritage Undergraduate of the Year Award.

Uncovering Prospects in the City
Uncovering Prospects is an annual event for high-potential students of Black heritage who are interested in exploring internship opportunities in London.

VERCIDA
VERCIDA is the UK’s largest diversity and inclusion-focused career hub for recruiters and jobseekers. As well as promoting jobs with inclusive employers, they provide resources for a range of applicants including, those with disabilities, those aged over 50, LGBTQ+ applicants, religious applicants and more. 

Windsor Fellowship programmes
The Windsor Fellowship is a charitable organisation that design and delivers personal development and leadership programmes, which enables talent from diverse communities to be realised.