UK: The United Kingdom's Royal Air Force (RAF) has artificially in-built its in-house training to meet its 2021 hiring target by prioritizing women and ethnic minority candidates when allocating slots in training courses, according to Sky News. Tried to increase house diversity numbers. Citing separate defense sources.
This month, according to Sky News, the head of the British Royal Air Force's recruiting team received "illegal" orders from a series of orders to "prioritize women and ethnic minority candidates over white men" when allocating RAF training slots. Initially resigned.
According to a leaked copy of the message cited by the outlet, the senior female officer, whose identity has not been disclosed, wrote in an email to her senior dated August 4 that she was "not ready to hand over or give up responsibility for the action." Order "to the employees.
According to an order issued two days earlier by the chief of staff personnel, Air Vice-Marshal Maria Byford, the recruiting team was to "load any remaining women and EM [ethnic minorities] into priority occupations that are ready, even if EA [Enlisted Aviators] candidates are not 'First Past the Post'.
When recruiting non-officers, the RAF typically employs a first-past-the-post system, allowing candidates to be slotted on training courses to excel in passing aptitude, medical and fitness tests. gives.
“I wholeheartedly agree that it is important that we do everything in our power to support the RAF's commitment to increasing diversity. However, this must be done in a legal and proportionate manner,” according to reports from the senior The officer wrote.
According to defense sources, the boss of the recruiting team refused to fulfill the order or enforce it on her team because she was concerned that it would be considered positive discrimination, which is illegal. Positive discrimination occurs when a person is given preference because of their gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or other characteristics, even if they have the necessary skills.
The same day the email was sent, the leader of the RAF's 450-strong recruitment team reportedly resigned.
According to insiders, Group Captain Recruitment and Selection, based at RAF Cranwell in Lincolnshire, also explained the reasons for resigning in a separate letter sent to their line managers.
'Impossible' diversity objective
On 16 August, Sky News reported that the unnamed chief of RAF recruiting had come out with what defense sources described as an "effective pause" in hiring white men in favor of women and ethnic minorities to meet "impossible" diversity targets. Resigned in protest.
In response, Britain's Armed Forces Minister James Happy said on Friday that any evidence of possible discrimination within the RAF would be investigated and those responsible would be held accountable.
Happy provided a different explanation for the "pause", which defense sources claimed began in late June. According to him, the Chief of the RAF, Air Chief Marshal Sir Mike Wigston, has asked to stop all training slots by March 2023, considering legal steps to help improve the level of diversity in various training courses.
If there's a way for the Air Force chief to consider affirmative action, that's fine, and he's given himself permission to do so. But we must be clear that no policy is being implemented," said Happy.
The report comes as defense chiefs put pressure on the three armed services, the RAF, the Army and the Royal Navy, to improve their diversity figures.
The Defense Ministry recently announced its target to increase the proportion of female recruits in the Armed Forces to 30% by 2030, with the RAF setting a target of 40% female Air Force recruits by the end of the decade. This is more than double the current level. The target for ethnic minorities is 20% of all Air Force recruits.
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