A first-of-its-kind educational pilot set up to tackle the under-representation of ethnic minorities in voluntary leadership positions has been extended to a full university programme.
Launched this month by the Open University (OU) and Henry Smith Charity, the Minority Ethnic Leadership (MEL) programme builds on the Black Leadership and Empowerment Programme which took place in Manchester last year.
The MEL programme aims to “foster new business leaders of the future” from minority ethnic backgrounds by enabling participants to “engage in social practices leading to impactful change to improve their communities’ exclusion or disadvantage”.
Fidèle Mutwarasibo, who leads the course and is director of OU’s Centre for Voluntary Sector Leadership, said: “We know that by connecting individuals into a network of powerful minority ethnic leadership learners, we can build communities of learning capable of achieving genuine change regarding the issues and challenges with which the voluntary sector is grappling.
“The aim is to dismantle the inequalities that remain across workplaces and society, particularly recognising the stark disadvantages faced by members of minoritised ethnic communities.”
Anand Shukla, chief executive of the Henry Smith Charity, said: “This programme is very important as we know that leaders from minority backgrounds are really under-represented in the voluntary and community sector.
“We’ve set up this partnership with the OU to tackle these barriers head-on and to create a pipeline of talent to come into these roles and give them the knowledge, skills and confidence to be able to thrive.”
Free learning hours
Funded by the Henry Smith Charity, the MEL programme will be delivered in six learning hubs in Glasgow, Belfast, Cardiff, Liverpool, Bristol and London and to 55 learners.
It will continue “to facilitate quality, tailored leadership learning based on reflective practice in the workplace and across communities”.
Participants will access 150 hours of free learning on the OU’s OpenLearn platform, including two bespoke leadership courses and a further credit-bearing course on work-related study.
The programme will also feature in-person sessions at the learning hubs, with motivational speakers, ad hoc mentoring and peer learning opportunities.
It will subsidise “as many learners as possible” to study for free or at a reduced rate.
The course also intends to enable minority ethnic leaders to connect and collectively work on solutions to racial justice issues, among other things.
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