Workplace inequality is harming the career prospects of minority workers who get disproportionate levels of training compared to white Britons, according to a new report.
The Trades Union Congress (TUC) found that even though job-related training is more likely to be offered to qualified workers, qualified black and minority ethnic (BME) employees receive fewer opportunities than their white counterparts.
Some 28% of BME workers are graduates compared to 20% of white staff, the report found, yet a fifth of minorities have never been offered job-related training compared to 17% of white workers.
"Racism at work is still preventing too many black workers from fulfilling their potential," said TUC general secretary Brendan Barber. "We need new legislation that will force all employers to give equal access to training for all workers."
The study also found that certain ethnic groups are facing greater barriers than others.
Nearly half of Bangladeshi employees and approximately two-fifths of Pakistani workers have never been offered training courses by their employers.
BME employees in the public sector were much more likely to receive job-related training than those working in the manufacturing sector.
Only 15% minority public-sector employees reported no training offers from their employers, with similar figures reported from white workers in the public sector.
The divide in manufacturing revealed 48% of BME workers claiming they have never been offered opportunities to improve their skills..
The figures were released to coincide with the TUC's Black Workers' Conference in Southport.
Later today, during a speech at the event Brendan Barber will urge politicians to steer clear from playing the race card in the run-up to the general election