Event to connect Black talent with employers to take place in Glasgow

The inaugural #IAmBlack conference will be held on Monday, April 29 at Strathclyde University's Technology and Innovation Centre. 

The first-of-its-kind conference aims to connect Black talent with leading employers across diverse industries, fostering meaningful dialogue and creating positive change in the Scottish workforce. 

Enoch Adeyemi (Image: Supplied)

The event is an initiative of Black Professionals Scotland, an organisation which supports both Black students and professionals in Scotland on their career journey while also empowering businesses who are looking to have fairer hiring and retention processes. 

About 500 delegates made up mostly of Black students, professionals and business owners will have the opportunity to network with representatives from 30 top employer brands, including Lloyds Banking Group, Scottish Power, TSB, Ashurst, M&G, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Hymans Robertson, Shepherd and Wedderburn. 

Olufunmilade Adetogun, a member of Black Professionals Scotland, said: "Black Professionals Scotland has empowered my career journey in Scotland.

"The groundbreaking IAmBlack Conference excites me – it sets a precedent for Black professionals' impact here and I eagerly anticipate career-boosting opportunities and connections with fellow delegates."

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Speakers and facilitators at the conference will include Lee Ann Panglea of CIPD, Ikem Odikanekwu of BlackRock, Musab Hemsi, Partner at Anderson Strathern LLP, Lọ́lá Béjidé of Soluman Consultancy, Kyle Murtagh of Confidence By Design and Carla Henison, DEI Business Partner at Hymans Robertson.

In addition, there will be panel discussions and practical masterclasses.

Enoch Adeyemi, founder of the #IAmBlack conference, said: "The inaugural #IAmBlack Conference is a two-way signalling playground.

"Firstly, the Black community is sending a strong message that they are here and they want to play a part in Scotland's prosperity.

"Secondly, the business community is saying loudly that they want to attract these diverse untapped talents."

Laura Vaughan, head of protection at Lloyds Banking Group, said: "Lloyds Banking Group is proud to be a headline sponsor of the #IAmBlack Conference.

"We have a clear race action plan and a firm target to increase Black representation in senior roles from 0.6% at senior grades to at least 3% by 2025.

"We're thrilled to have the opportunity to work with Black Professionals Scotland and its members as part of this inaugural event, and we're looking forward to what is sure to be an amazing event in Glasgow in April."

Pauline Murphy, head of people analytics and governance at Scottish Enterprise, added: "Being part of Scottish Enterprise means being open to new ideas and trying different ways of working.

"Diversity in our workforce – and experience and thought - is vital if we are to engage successfully with our communities across Scotland.

"As an equal opportunity employer, we look forward to the first IAmBlack Conference and sharing our opportunities with talented and ambitious candidates."

You can find out more HERE.