Migrant support organisations can play a role in helping migrants move from frontline or entry-level public sector roles into leadership positions. Examples of support include:

1. Inspiring aspiration among clients, for example, highlighting migrant leadership role models through case studies, talks, or panels, promoting the importance of representation in shaping fair, inclusive public services, explaining pathways to leadership in different parts of the public sector—health, education, local government or civil service, countering self-doubt and imposter syndrome with messaging that reinforces migrants’ right to lead and contribute at all levels.

2. Mentoring talented clients, for instance, pairing migrants with peer mentors or staff who are already in leadership roles and can nurture their leadership skills and competencies.

3. Providing career guidance and tailored advice, such as, offering 1-to-1 career coaching to explore long-term leadership pathways and personal goals, helping clients understand job hierarchies, structures, and pay grades in the public sector, support clients in identifying transferable skills and leadership potential from past work, volunteering, or activism.

4. Facilitating access to qualifications by guiding clients on how to recognise or convert foreign qualifications via UK ENIC and supporting them with applications for UK-specific certifications (e.g. Qualified Teacher Status, social work registration, NHS licensing).

5. Delivering leadership and confidence-building training in-house or in partnership with organisations running community-based leadership courses tailored to migrants (e.g. workshops on public speaking, UK policy systems, team management).

6. Building networks and open doors by introducing clients to professional networks and sector bodies (e.g. ASCL), partnering with public sector employers to offer job shadowing and mentorship, helping clients volunteer or serve on boards, advisory groups or school governing bodies to gain experience in governance and strategic decision-making.

7. Signposting to generic or specialist leadership support, for example, training delivered by Social Equity Centre aimed at first generation migrants. Take a look at their Local Government Training Programme website. Local councils often offer leadership development schemes. Other leadership programmes include the NHS Leadership Academy. 

8. Promoting equity and advocating system change by working with public sector employers to remove barriers to migrant progression (e.g. by promoting inclusive recruitment or recognition of international experience), advocating for funded internships or leadership pathways for migrants (e.g. through refugee support programmes), encouraging public bodies to adopt equity-based leadership recruitment to actively seek out and support candidates from under-represented groups.

Final thought: Migrant support organisations are uniquely placed to nurture the leadership potential of their clients by creating pathways, challenging barriers, and championing new voices in public life.

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