On Monday 6 October, Capital City Partnership organised Stories of Change hosted by the National Library of Scotland, as part of the DataKirk Scottish Ethnic Minority Talent Summit programme.
The event also formed part of CCP’s Employer Engagement Project for Ethnic Minorities (EEPEM), a citywide initiative dedicated to supporting fair recruitment, progression, and inclusive workforce development. The aim of Stories of Change was to raise awareness of the barriers faced by minority ethnic individuals in employment, celebrate resilience and ambition, and inspire action towards more equitable opportunities across sectors.
The event attracted participants from across the third, public, and private sectors, including senior managers, HR and recruitment professionals, line managers, and community service providers. The audience listened to powerful first-hand stories from ethnically diverse individuals building their lives and careers in Edinburgh, how they navigated the employability services, and what impact it had on their well-being and personhood.
Opening remarks were delivered by Amina Shah, CEO of the National Library of Scotland and Fash Fasoro, CEO of DataKirk, who both highlighted the importance of Scottish multi-ethnic heritage and the role of open public institutions in building an inclusive community for the future. Recorded stories will be available on our project website.
Then the event featured moving stories shared by Oshuare, Sana, Omar, Ankita and Olawale, each reflecting journeys of perseverance, growth, and belonging stories that resonated deeply with the audience in the room. All of the story tellers highlighted bright hopes for the future, despite challenges and set backs.
We have collected feedback from our audience and had overwhelmingly positive 67% response rate form our feedback survey. The audience described the stories as “powerful,” “motivating,” and “a reminder of resilience, intelligence, and capability in the face of barriers”. Participants described the event as inspiring, eye-opening, and deeply human, a reminder of the resilience and determination of ethnically diverse individuals building their lives and careers in Edinburgh.
Every respondent said the stories clearly showed the impact of employability support, and almost all reported that the event significantly increased their awareness of the barriers and opportunities faced by minority ethnic communities.
From the open-ended responses, several themes of moving forward stood out:
Equity and Inclusion: the need for fair opportunities across all sectors.
Policy Change: reforming restrictive eligibility and access criteria.
Cross-Sector Collaboration: stronger partnerships between employers, communities, and policymakers.
80% said they are likely to take action as a result — from rethinking policies to sharing insights within their organisations. Many attendees reflected on the importance of co-creation, partnership, and policy change, calling for fairer systems that value international experience and remove structural barriers to inclusion. As one respondent noted, “It can help only to the point where progress is stopped by inadequate policies” which is a call that reinforces why these conversations must continue.
We extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone who joined Stories of Change, from the storytellers who shared their journeys with honesty and courage, to the employers, practitioners, and community members who listened, reflected, and contributed to the conversation.
Copyright © 2025 | The Edinburgh Local Employability Partnership
