Innovative programme aims to enable minority ethnic leaders to shine

Posted on 7 April 2025 • Business, University news

The Open University (OU) and the Henry Smith Charity have forged an exciting new partnership to help foster new business leaders of the future from Minority Ethnic backgrounds.

The partnership is established with the OU’s Centre for Voluntary Sector Leadership (CVSL), one of the OU’s Business School’s centres of research excellence, which supports and initiates action in the voluntary sector through collaboration and leadership.

The leadership programme, launched this month, will see six learning hubs created across the UK in Glasgow, Belfast, Cardiff, Liverpool, Bristol and London where a total of 55 learners will participate in the leadership programme.

Funding from the Henry Smith Charity of more than £200,000 has enabled this extension to the OU’s successful pilot scheme last year, which saw learners take part for free in its Black Leadership and Empowerment Programme in Manchester.

A unique programme drawing on excellence in research and teaching

The venture was the first of its kind in the UK, specifically supporting Black learners to make a difference in leadership. It was run in partnership, and thanks to generous funds from Autotrader, Manchester Airport Group and The Prince’s Trust, to address the under-representation of ethnic minorities in voluntary leadership positions.

The new programme – the Minority Ethnic Leadership (MEL) programme – continues this aim to facilitate quality, tailored leadership learning based on reflective practice in the workplace and across communities.

Partnering with the Henry Smith Charity – whose mission is to tackle economic and social disadvantage – the Minority Ethnic Leadership and Empowerment Programme will enable even more individuals to engage in social practices leading to impactful change to improve their communities’ exclusion or disadvantage. It creates a unique programme, drawing on the excellence in research and teaching of the OU’s Business School (OUBS).

 

Participants will access 150 hours of free learning on the OU’s OpenLearn platform including two bespoke leadership courses, as well as a further credit-bearing course on work-related study: Making Your Learning Count. The programme also includes in-person sessions at the six learning hubs around the UK, featuring motivational speakers, ad hoc mentoring and peer learning opportunities.

It is led by Dr Fidèle Mutwarasibo, a Senior Lecturer in Work-Based Learning at the OU, Co-author of the courses and Director of the CVSL. He 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, CEO 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 Open University 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.”

Professor Josie Fraser, Interim Vice-Chancellor of The Open University, said:

“This is a great opportunity to bring life-changing business education to a group of people who are going to do great things in the world, thanks to the support of the Henry Smith Charity.

“Our two organisations have closely aligned values and objectives and here at the OU we’ve got some fantastic learning resources. We’re really excited about working to empower these future leaders.”

The OUBS is a pioneer in flexible, supportive and responsive online learning. It balances being triple-accredited and having a focus on socially responsible research-led teaching while remaining open to all, fulfilling The Open University’s unique social mission to be “open to people, places, methods and ideas”. Social mobility has long partnered excellence and impact to provide the backbone of the agenda at OUBS.

The aims of the Minority Ethnic Leadership programme are:

• Establish a high-quality leadership programme to enhance the leadership skills and agency of learners
• Improve commitment to equality in practice, including increased representation, influence and voice of minority ethnic people in workplaces and society
• Enable minority ethnic leaders around the UK to connect and collectively work on solutions to racial justice issues
• Offer clear pathways into the Open University Business School’s formal curriculum through bespoke, accredited learning
• Build leadership capacity and agency of Minority Ethnic professionals and community workers by subsidising as many learners as possible to study for free or at a reduced rate to generate a ripple effect by increasing the numbers of minority ethnic leaders and role models in the workplace and society

Main Image: Launch event for the MEL programme: l-r Shreya Shukla, Mary Mosinghi, Fidèle Mutwarasibo, Prof Josie Fraser, Interim Vice-Chancellor, OU, Tracy Grunwell, the OU and Anand Shukla  CEO, Henry Smith Charity. Copyright, OU.