Afro Innovation Group (AIG), in partnership with De Montfort University, presents evidence and policy recommendations to address persistent employment exclusion affecting refugees, migrants and racially minoritised communities in Leicester and the wider East Midlands.
Drawing on frontline delivery data, structured casework evidence and lived experience from over 675 individuals supported annually, this brief highlights systemic gaps within current employment commissioning frameworks. While labour demand remains high across key sectors, many marginalised workers continue to experience disproportionate exclusion from secure and sustainable employment.
This brief argues that community-led employability models are not peripheral to statutory provision, but essential to achieving inclusive economic growth. It calls for commissioning reform that embeds trusted community organisations as core delivery partners and values progression, retention and skills recognition alongside job entry.
KEY MESSAGES
POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS
To strengthen inclusive employment pathways & improve public value, commissioners and policymakers should:
01
Commission community-based employment navigators embedded within local Jobcentre Plus ecosystems.
03
Integrate employability pathways with health and wellbeing services, including trauma-informed support and NHS coordination.
05
Fund in-work retention support for the first 6-12 months of employment to reduce churn and repeat unemployment.
02
Reform outcome frameworks to value progression milestones, skills acquisition and in-work retention alongside job entry.
04
Invest in vocational ESOL and structured qualification recognition routes to reduce skills waste in regulated professions.
Evidence from Practice
Afro Innovation Group supports between 675 and 712 individuals annually facing barriers to employment.
Outcomes include:
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360-380 individuals entering paid employment
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48-50 individuals registering as self-employed
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12-14 individuals establishing micro-businesses
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163-180 individuals acquiring new vocational skills
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38-42 long-term carers returning to work
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46-54 disabled or neurodiverse individuals entering work
Delivery data demonstrates:
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63% first-interview success rate
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80% interview success following CV and application support
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42% receiving in-work retention support
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Approximately 63% requiring language-related employment support
What AIG can offer stakeholders
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A 30-minute policy briefing for MPs, officials, councils, and partners
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Support to convene grassroots consultation safely and ethically
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Practical proposals for monitoring, learning, and accountability
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Partnership pathways with diaspora and community-led networks
Contact
For policy engagement and partnership enquiries:
Email: leicester1@afroinno.org | Phone: 0116 208 1340