Reported Pause in RAF White Recruiting To Meet Diversity Targets
This is getting beyond funny now. The whole Baggers and Biffo twitter show makes them both look ridiculous. How anyone can think that a public spat with the mainstream media on twitter is going to have any positive outcome is beyond me.
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In all the media coverage and various forums, including here, I’ve seen little or nothing on one important aspect: a large proportion of ethnic minorities have a cultural aversion to joining the military and police, seeing them either as low status or part of a repressive government apparatus, and many women see the military as unsuitable for women. The current situation can be seen as a desperate measure to cover the failure of the military to sell themselves to these groups and overcome cultural prejudices, something they dare not discuss in public for fear of being labelled ‘racist’.
As an aside, I’m a member of a car club where the new chairman is likely to be a serving RAF officer, the only other candidate having been bullied into stepping down. Whilst the club is overwhelmingly white men, we do have a number of active women, ethnic minority, LGBTQ and transgender members. In over 10 years I’ve neither seen nor heard of anything negative towards them. However, after a stupid spat when an older member unwisely used a term no longer acceptable in polite company (think Robertsons jam) to describe a well-known mixed-race F1 driver, our chairman-to-be has pledged to rid the club of dinosaurs (which I presume I am) and make the club more ‘inclusive’. I look forward to seeing if his recruitment methods will be any more successful than the RAF’s.
As an aside, I’m a member of a car club where the new chairman is likely to be a serving RAF officer, the only other candidate having been bullied into stepping down. Whilst the club is overwhelmingly white men, we do have a number of active women, ethnic minority, LGBTQ and transgender members. In over 10 years I’ve neither seen nor heard of anything negative towards them. However, after a stupid spat when an older member unwisely used a term no longer acceptable in polite company (think Robertsons jam) to describe a well-known mixed-race F1 driver, our chairman-to-be has pledged to rid the club of dinosaurs (which I presume I am) and make the club more ‘inclusive’. I look forward to seeing if his recruitment methods will be any more successful than the RAF’s.
A funny but nasty comment from a friend who read this thread:
”Nothing to worry about, the RAF hasn’t been able to hit a target for years!”
Of course he thinks the RAF and RCAF have been on a slippery downhill slide since late 1945.
”Nothing to worry about, the RAF hasn’t been able to hit a target for years!”
Of course he thinks the RAF and RCAF have been on a slippery downhill slide since late 1945.
I don't know if this has been mentioned in any of the previous 225 posts, however...
A total of 13% of the UK population is made up of ethnic minorities. The RAF, under Wigston, has a recruitment target of 20% ethnic minorities. First of all this is apparently a more ambitious target than that of either the Army or RN. So presumably this isn't a tri-service policy, having come down from CDS or the politicians, but an RAF (under Wigston) self generated figure. Secondly, a target of 20% vs 13% of the population indicates a policy of deliberate over representation, by around 50%, dare one say a policy of "positive discrimination"?
A total of 13% of the UK population is made up of ethnic minorities. The RAF, under Wigston, has a recruitment target of 20% ethnic minorities. First of all this is apparently a more ambitious target than that of either the Army or RN. So presumably this isn't a tri-service policy, having come down from CDS or the politicians, but an RAF (under Wigston) self generated figure. Secondly, a target of 20% vs 13% of the population indicates a policy of deliberate over representation, by around 50%, dare one say a policy of "positive discrimination"?
I don't know if this has been mentioned in any of the previous 225 posts, however...
A total of 13% of the UK population is made up of ethnic minorities. The RAF, under Wigston, has a recruitment target of 20% ethnic minorities. First of all this is apparently a more ambitious target than that of either the Army or RN. So presumably this isn't a tri-service policy, having come down from CDS or the politicians, but an RAF (under Wigston) self generated figure. Secondly, a target of 20% vs 13% of the population indicates a policy of deliberate over representation, by around 50%, dare one say a policy of "positive discrimination"?
A total of 13% of the UK population is made up of ethnic minorities. The RAF, under Wigston, has a recruitment target of 20% ethnic minorities. First of all this is apparently a more ambitious target than that of either the Army or RN. So presumably this isn't a tri-service policy, having come down from CDS or the politicians, but an RAF (under Wigston) self generated figure. Secondly, a target of 20% vs 13% of the population indicates a policy of deliberate over representation, by around 50%, dare one say a policy of "positive discrimination"?
So there you have it.
I don't know if this has been mentioned in any of the previous 225 posts, however...
A total of 13% of the UK population is made up of ethnic minorities. The RAF, under Wigston, has a recruitment target of 20% ethnic minorities. First of all this is apparently a more ambitious target than that of either the Army or RN. So presumably this isn't a tri-service policy, having come down from CDS or the politicians, but an RAF (under Wigston) self generated figure. Secondly, a target of 20% vs 13% of the population indicates a policy of deliberate over representation, by around 50%, dare one say a policy of "positive discrimination"?
A total of 13% of the UK population is made up of ethnic minorities. The RAF, under Wigston, has a recruitment target of 20% ethnic minorities. First of all this is apparently a more ambitious target than that of either the Army or RN. So presumably this isn't a tri-service policy, having come down from CDS or the politicians, but an RAF (under Wigston) self generated figure. Secondly, a target of 20% vs 13% of the population indicates a policy of deliberate over representation, by around 50%, dare one say a policy of "positive discrimination"?
This ignores the age of the demographic in question.
Nobody in recruiting cares about the sizable population of crusty, straight white people who are 50+. They care about the <30s, who have a higher percentage in all those categories - and by a substantial margin.
Nobody in recruiting cares about the sizable population of crusty, straight white people who are 50+. They care about the <30s, who have a higher percentage in all those categories - and by a substantial margin.
This ignores the age of the demographic in question.
Nobody in recruiting cares about the sizable population of crusty, straight white people who are 50+. They care about the <30s, who have a higher percentage in all those categories - and by a substantial margin.
Nobody in recruiting cares about the sizable population of crusty, straight white people who are 50+. They care about the <30s, who have a higher percentage in all those categories - and by a substantial margin.
Is "under 30" a useful demographic? How
many are recruited over age 25 years I wonder?
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This ignores the age of the demographic in question.
Nobody in recruiting cares about the sizable population of crusty, straight white people who are 50+. They care about the <30s, who have a higher percentage in all those categories - and by a substantial margin.
Nobody in recruiting cares about the sizable population of crusty, straight white people who are 50+. They care about the <30s, who have a higher percentage in all those categories - and by a substantial margin.
As for the meejah agenda bending? As ‘someone’ who knew a bit about the power of media once said….
“If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it."
As an aged WASP oxygen thief, I’m not there yet.
Thread Starter
NEW: The head of the RAF - @ChiefofAirStaff- says he will address “as a priority” a series of “legitimate questions” raised in the media over diversity targets in the @RoyalAirForce, allegations of sexual harassment & bullying in the @rafredarrows& concerns about flying training
gov figures from 2018. BAME age profile skews young.
lots recruited over 25, both Officer and OR.
Looking at CAS's latest message, I think it means....
There might be a problem...but probably not.
Keep all the nasty stuff behind closed doors and please stop leaking.
Everybody else is wrong on this...I'm pressing ahead regardless.
There might be a problem...but probably not.
Keep all the nasty stuff behind closed doors and please stop leaking.
Everybody else is wrong on this...I'm pressing ahead regardless.
I thought that the idea behind all this recruitment targets was that the armed forces reflect society as a whole not a certain age group. It should be that percentage that is aimed for regardless of the age group that actually serves. FWIW I think the idea is bollox.
NEW: The head of the RAF - @ChiefofAirStaff- says he will address “as a priority” a series of “legitimate questions” raised in the media over diversity targets in the @RoyalAirForce, allegations of sexual harassment & bullying in the @rafredarrows& concerns about flying training
Deborah Haynes on Twitter: "NEW: The head of the RAF -@ChiefofAirStaff - says he will address “as a priority” a series of “legitimate questions” raised in the media over diversity targets in the @RoyalAirForce, allegations of sexual harassment & bullying in the @rafredarrows & concerns about flying training https://t.co/8kIjPFUdQe" / Twitter
Deborah Haynes on Twitter: "NEW: The head of the RAF -@ChiefofAirStaff - says he will address “as a priority” a series of “legitimate questions” raised in the media over diversity targets in the @RoyalAirForce, allegations of sexual harassment & bullying in the @rafredarrows & concerns about flying training https://t.co/8kIjPFUdQe" / Twitter
I do hope ‘T’Board’ also consider the implications of this ‘vote of confidence’ from his troops which quietly disappeared from the public eye….
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9958461/Top-RAF-commander-blasted-63-officers-telling-no-clue-use-regiment.html
OMS
Very disconcerting that, with war in Europe and the UK being put repeatedly under Nuclear threat, the precious time and energy of our military leaders is spent on these issues. No wonder the troops and the public are concerned.
Agility is the ability to swifty recognise and act when the situation has changed. The age of lazy leadership - focussing on unimportant issues - must end.
Agility is the ability to swifty recognise and act when the situation has changed. The age of lazy leadership - focussing on unimportant issues - must end.