Minority Ethnic Leadership Programme (MEL) - Empowering minority ethnic leadership across the UK social sector

What is the Minority Ethnic Leadership Programme?

The Minority Ethnic Leadership Programme is designed to allow new and emerging leaders from the voluntary sector who identify as Minority Ethnic to undertake a bespoke 30-credit level 1 undergraduate course at the Open University Business School.

Ninety places are available for the 2024/25 academic year. In addition to Open University tuition, the learners will take part in peer learning and mentoring activities. The peer learning activities will occur in six UK hubs: Belfast, Bristol, Cardiff, Glasgow, Liverpool, and London. 

The leadership programme will be provided by The Open University in partnership with the Henry Smith Charity which is funding this programme.

Why have we created this programme?

Minority Ethnic professionals remain under-represented in leadership positions in the third sector due to a lack of opportunities, discrimination, and significant structural barriers. Potential future leaders may not have access to the contacts or networks to climb the career ladder. This lack of networks creates an ongoing cycle of inequality that must be addressed effectively by all relevant stakeholders.

According to The National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO), the percentage of Minority Ethnic employees in the voluntary sector in the UK in December 2022 was 9%, compared to 15% in the private sector and 14% in the public sector. A good representation rate would be around 18%.

In addition to hindering personal career development, a lack of diversity in leadership practices and roles has a significant and detrimental effect on an organisation’s ability to innovate and attract the required talent to achieve its objectives successfully. The OU's Minority Ethnic Leadership Programme (MEL) aims to empower minority ethnic leadership across the UK social sector.

This programme is the first of its kind and aims to build the leadership capacity and agency of Minority Ethnic professionals and community workers, which will generate a ripple effect by increasing the numbers of Minority Ethnic leaders and role models in the workplace and society.

Eligibility

To be eligible, you’ll need to meet all the following criteria:

• Identify as being from a Minority Ethnic background; applicants must have one of the following ethnicities:
  • Asian or Asian British
    • Indian
    • Pakistani
    • Bangladeshi
    • Chinese
    • Any other Asian background
  • Black, Black British, Caribbean or African
    • Caribbean
    • African
    • Any other Black, Black British, or Caribbean background
  • Mixed or multiple ethnic groups
    • White and Black Caribbean
    • White and Black African
    • White and Asian
    • Any other Mixed or multiple ethnic background
  • Other Ethnic Group
    • Arab
    • Any other ethnic group
• Be ordinarily resident in the UK and eligible for a UK fee.
• Hold no existing higher education qualification in leadership or management.
• Commit to completing the Making your Learning Count at Work Module (30 credit level 1 undergraduate), including the six formative assessments and an end-of-module assessment (EMA).
• Commit to attending the peer learning sessions and documenting learning in a reflective diary.

How to apply

Read the terms and conditions of the programme.

Register for the recruitment webinar by December 2nd, 2024 (13:00)

Attend the student recruitment webinars either on December 3rd (10:00 – 11:00) or December 5th (11:00 - 12:00)

Apply online (Deadline December 17th, 2024).

Places on the programme will be confirmed by January 15th, 2025.

Need more information?

If you’ve got a question about the Minority Ethnic Leadership Programme (MEL) - Empowering minority ethnic leadership across the UK social sector or need help to complete your application, contact The Open University’s Centre for Voluntary Sector Leadership (CVSL) by email at oubs-cvsl@open.ac.uk.

Our Funding Partner

The Minority Ethnic Leadership Programme (MEL), which empowers minority ethnic leadership across the UK social sector, is funded by the Henry Smith Charity.