• Training will be rolled out to all 21,000 plus employees at the Liverpool City Region’s six councils and its Combined Authority

• 1,500 people to receive training in first six-month phase

• Part of the £3.6m Race Equality Programme launched by Mayor Steve Rotheram

Race equality training begins this week for all employees – more than 21,000 people – at the Liverpool City Region’s six local councils and its Combined Authority.

The training – branded EmbRACE – is a key part of the £3.6m Race Equality Programme launched last year by Mayor Steve Rotheram. It will be delivered over the next three years.

The training is specifically about race equality and reflects the experiences of local people in the Liverpool City Region, addressing concepts including structural racism, positive action, privilege and micro-aggression.

The bespoke learning programme will be rolled out across all authorities in the region with 1,500 employees benefitting from the course in this first phase. Each authority has been allocated a specific number of places for the initial phase from November 2022 to April 2023.

The training will raise awareness of racial inequality and enable employees to better understand and interact effectively with people from other backgrounds, in order to provide first-rate services to all the city region’s residents, while increasing inclusivity in the workplace.

Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, Steve Rotheram, said:

“I am really proud that the Liverpool City Region’s diversity is one of its greatest strengths. Home to a community of 1.6 million people from all walks of life, we are a melting pot of different cultures and backgrounds that makes our area one of the best places to live, work and grow up in.

“But despite all the progress we’ve made, we know that there is still a long way to go in our journey to true equality. I launched the region’s Race Equality Programme to not only talk about injustice but to take concrete action to tackle systemic racial inequality, helping us to deliver positive, permanent change for our Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic communities.

“Our region’s councils and Combined Authority are responsible for delivering on behalf of those who call our region home and, as public servants, we have a duty to lead by example. The learning programme has been designed specifically for our city region by using the lived experiences of our residents. All 21,000 of our employees will be required to complete this training and, while that is no mean feat, we believe it’s absolutely necessary if we’re serious about making our region the fairest, most inclusive and socially-just place to live in the UK.”

Established in 2013, EqualiTeach is a not-for-profit provider of equality and diversity training and consultancy services for businesses, local authorities, schools and education settings.

Since being commissioned by the Combined Authority, Equaliteach have worked with local people to build local capacity by co-designing and developing race equality training specifically for the Liverpool City Region.

The Liverpool City Region Race Equality Training programme includes:

• One-hour e-Learning course

• Three-hour face-to-face training session

• Online reflection sessions

• Online portal of resources