BBC advertised for two 12-month trainee roles with 'allowance' of £25,000

Did not prohibit white people but mentioned ethnic minorities in advert

When people applied they got generic email saying it is closed to whites

Applicant accused BBC of 'racial discrimination' against white people

Job applicants accused the BBC of racial discrimination after being turned down for roles because they are white.

The broadcaster advertised for two junior script writers on 12-month trainee schemes, one of which offered the opportunity to work on hospital drama Holby City in London.

But applicants were outraged when HR bosses replied to applications saying that they were only open to people from 'ethnic minority backgrounds'.

The BBC (pictured, their HQ at Salford Quays) has been criticised for telling white people that they cannot apply for scriptwriter jobs because they are only open to people from ethnic minorities
The advert was for two full-time drama assistant script editors for the trainee scheme, with an annual 'allowance' of up to £25,205, and one provided an opportunity to work on Holby City for six months
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The advert was for two full-time drama assistant script editors for the trainee scheme, with an annual 'allowance' of up to £25,205, and one provided an opportunity to work on Holby City for six months

The corporation said the move was to address an 'under-representation of people from ethnic minority backgrounds in script editing roles'.

But one unsuccessful applicant accused them of flouting their own anti-discrimination rules by not granting him an interview based on his white ethnicity.
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The 26-year-old, a media graduate, said: 'It's racial discrimination to disregard someone based on them being any race.

'It's just wrong and as far as I know it is illegal. Coming from the BBC, it's amazing.

'If you applied for a position and got a reply saying it was only open to white applicants you would quite rightly not be happy. This is exactly the same.'

The applicant, who chose to remain anonymous, added: 'Opportunities like this hardly ever come up.

'Of course there was no guarantee I would have got the job, but to be told I wasn't even allowed to apply because of the colour of my skin was appalling. I thought that became illegal years ago.

'Diversity is incredibly important and I am wholly against any form of discrimination - which is why I don't understand why the BBC think they can get away with this.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3621658/BBC-turn-trainees-WHITE-Job-applicants-stunned-told-corporation-wants-people-ethnic-minority-backgrounds.html#ixzz4AS3u2iHf