19th September 2005
Muslim Businesswoman Recognised for
Tackling Religious Intolerance in the Workplace
It's been up and running for just seven months, yet a cultural awareness
training company launched to tackle religious and cultural intolerance in
the workplace has already been recognised for its groundbreaking work,
claiming two UK learning 'firsts.' Noble Khan, founded by Muslim
businesswoman and single mum, Sadi Mehmood, has become the only training
centre of its kind to be licensed by ASET, the national body responsible for
quality assuring and certifying vocational learning programmes. Noble Khan's
unique Asian Cultural Awareness Training course has also gained ASET
accreditation. The course helps businesses, religious organisations and
individuals form better relationships with Asians within the context of the
Employment Equality (Religion and Belief) Regulations 2003.
Sadi Mehmood says: "The accreditation of Noble Khan and the Asian Cultural
Training Programme by ASET means our course content and delivery is up to
required standards. It's a fun, experiential and practical course that
explores the crucial legal, cultural and religious issues that come into
play in the workplace. Significantly, I understand it's the only cultural
awareness course in the country placed firmly within the context of the
Employment Equality (Religion and Belief) Regulations 2003. Uniquely, it
helps people identify Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs - it's amazing how many
people can't. Knowing who you're speaking too is key to avoiding causing
offence and risking potential discrimination claims."
Lin Hinson, a solicitor specializing in Employment Law has assessed Noble
Khan's Asian Cultural Training Programme and suggests it could help
businesses avoid legal action. "Employers who join their workforce on this
training programme are demonstrating they take the Religion and Belief
Regulations seriously." she says. "It shows they're going beyond simply
paying lip service to policy and are taking an active interest in
implementing it too. Noble Khan's training programme won't just help avoid
discrimination happening in the first place, it will also make any
subsequent claims easier to defend."
Noble Khan also provides training to help Asians integrate into British
society through its British Culture Course. Aimed at foreign nationals
coming to live in the UK. It helps them integrate by providing practical
experience of British social life and showing how they can embrace it
without loosing their culture or core roots - something many fear.
Noble Khan's work has received encouragement for her work from Work and
Pensions Minister, Margaret Hodge, who sent her good wishes as the Minister
of State responsible for the Government's target to increase the ethnic
minority employment rate.
For more information about Noble Khan please visit www.noblekhan.co.uk. Lin
Hinson can be contacted on 0115 946 2949. The ASET Website is at
www.aset.ac.uk